Lowveld largely unaffected by planned national shutdown
MBOMBELA - There was an air of anticipation on the morning of August 24 as the threat of the planned national shutdown loomed; yet, by midday, the city was largely untouched by any form of protest.
Isolated incidents were reported in Pienaar as well as in the Mkhuhlu area towards the Paul Kruger Gate of the Kruger National Park, but these were not necessarily related to the shutdown.
Nevertheless, members of the Lowveld Security JOC were at their posts to provide the community with updates on the situation in and around Mbombela.
They gathered at 05:00 on the day, but started issuing updates as early as 03:00.
At the time of going to press, no major incidents of protests had been reported.
On August 23, Cosatu’s provincial secretary, Thabo Mokoena, dismissed allegations on social media that Mbombela roads would be closed on the day of the planned shutdown.
He said only one protest action was planned for Mpumalanga, which would proceed from eMalahleni’s Boardwalk to Eskom Park, where a memorandum of grievances would be handed over by various members of Cosatu affiliates.
Lowvelder’s sister publication, Witbank News, reported that the planned protest in eMalahleni did in fact take place and was peaceful in nature.
Cosatu said the protesters would be striking against the rising cost of living and petrol prices, increasing interest rates, job losses and the high unemployment rate.
‘Members of the Lowveld Security JOC were at their posts to provide the community with updates on the situation’