Cosatu is getting impatient with authorities and will continue to wage war against e-tolls, its Gauteng secretary Dumisani Dakile said on Friday.<\/p>\n
“What they are doing is trying to provoke us… the patience is running out. If they want another Marikana we will give it to them on a silver platter,” Dakile told a group of protesters outside the trade union federation’s Johannesburg headquarters in Braamfontein.<\/p>\n
The group included representatives from the Treatment Action Campaign, Bikers Against E-tolls, and the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference.<\/p>\n
The Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday dismissed Cosatu’s application for a go-slow protest on Johannesburg’s highways. It approached the court after metro police refused it permission.<\/p>\n
Dakile said Johannesburg metro police had asked for an upfront payment of R2 million for the protest to go ahead.<\/p>\n
“We have never paid money in order to exercise our constitutional right. We are not prepared to pay even half a cent… let them go to hell.”<\/p>\n
According to Dakile metro police told Cosatu it had a sworn statement stating there would be violence at the march.<\/p>\n
“We have had many marches, peaceful marches. That is their plan to stop us.”<\/p>\n
The trade union federation was meeting Ekurhuleni officials at 3pm on Friday to discuss plans to protest on May 31.<\/p>\n
“We want to know about their decision by Monday, so that we can know what action to take.”<\/p>\n
The Ekurhuleni march would see thousands block the N3, N12, the R24 and the R21, he said.<\/p>\n
“If no permission is granted, even if we had gone through all legal processes, Cosatu will go ahead with the protests.”<\/p>\n
E-tolls needed for economic growth: Martins<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n E-toll to cost R200 on average: SANRAL<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n SANRAL wanted to warn motorists on e-tolls<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Sanral not ready to launch e-tolling: Outa<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n