On October 7, South Africa witnessed a nationwide protest led by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), the country’s largest trade union confederation. In an effort to address critical issues like high unemployment, rampant corruption, escalating living costs, and ongoing social crime, Cosatu initiated a strike that attracted significant public attention, all under the watchful eyes of police and traffic officials.

The strike had a profound impact on key locations, including the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, various municipal offices, Parliament, and the Department of Employment and Labor. Representing approximately 1.8 million members through its affiliated unions, Cosatu emphasized that workers have “had enough” of the soaring cost of living. In a statement, they condemned the provincial education department’s budget cuts that risked eliminating thousands of teaching positions earlier this year.

The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure, known as NATJOINTS, monitored the situation from its National Coordination Center, ensuring public order was maintained during this significant gathering. South Africa’s government news agency reported that all necessary resources were mobilized and there was close cooperation with law enforcement to safeguard the participants.

Recent data from a quarterly labor force survey by Statistics South Africa revealed that the unemployment rate soared to 33.5% in the second quarter of 2024, translating to about 8.4 million unemployed individuals in the country.