The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has now given the City of Cape Town seven days to respond to a list of urgent demands submitted earlier this morning, following a protest that laid bare the deep financial strain many households are under.
Read more: COSATU Takes Cost of Living Fight to Parliament
A group of about 150 residents joined and voiced their support for the march, underscoring the growing anger and exhaustion over the rising cost of living in Cape Town.
COSATU’s Malvern de Bruyn said residents across the City of Cape Town are being pushed to the edge by relentless increases in electricity tariffs, transport fares, and basic food prices. He stressed that immediate intervention is needed to prevent already struggling families from falling further into hardship.
“We are giving them enough time to respond to our demands. We want solutions and we want them soon. If we are not satisfied with the outcome, we will go back to the drawing board, which could see another march in the City.”
Although the demonstration was organised at short notice, de Bruyn said the turnout reflected a deeper reality: many residents are no longer coping with the relentless squeeze on their incomes.
Speaking to SmileFM News, several protesters, who asked to remain anonymous, described the daily struggle of trying to sustain their families despite being permanently employed.
One resident said the burden of rising costs has become unbearable.
“The cost of living has increased enormously in recent years. We cannot keep up. I am paying nearly R50 a day for electricity and I just can’t afford it.”
Another protester pointed to the relentless rise in fuel prices and its knock-on effect across the economy.
“We keep seeing the petrol price increasing and then decreasing, but we never see the prices of food decreasing, even though prices are increased as a result of fuel prices. It has reached a point where I am living pay cheque to pay cheque and I can’t afford the things I could before. I am just buying the things we need, yet I am still struggling.”
De Bruyn confirmed that COSATU will await the City’s response before deciding on the next steps, including possible further action should the demands not be adequately addressed.
