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EMS members embark on protests

───   LUCKY NKUYANE 11:08 Wed, 21 Aug 2019

EMS members embark on protests | News Article
PHOTO: Katleho Morapela

Hundreds of disgruntled Emergency Medical Services personnel in Bloemfontein in the Free State have embarked on a protest.


In their red and green colours, these members are being escorted by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and traffic officials while singing struggle songs.  

This as they protest for issues affecting them, such as the improvement of working conditions. These protesters are expected to hand over their memorandum of demands shortly.

They will gather at the OR Tambo Building, at the offices of the Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela, with the hope that their issues will be addressed.

The protests by the South African Emergency Personnel's Union (SAEPU) comes exactly two days after members of the EMS were attacked in Lusaka in Theunissen in the early hours of Sunday morning whilst attending to a patient.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Department of Health, Mondli Mvambi, said the MEC Montseng Tsiu condemned this attack on the EMS crew by gang members whilst attending to an assaulted patient.

Mvambi said the crew fled the scene leaving behind one ambulance which had punctured tyres. The South African Police Services (SAPS) were called to assist. He said the incident followed a break-in at the clinic and an attempt to steal a patient transport vehicle in the same town.


An official from The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) gave their support to the workers and said they were in full support of the protests.


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