Among the unions are NUPSAW ( National Union of Public Services and Allied Workers). Regional secretary of NUPSAW, Amos Tyatya, tells OFM News that the purpose of the march includes demanding that community health workers be integrated in the health system. He says public service workers who are temporarily employed, have had to risk just as much as permanent employees during the pandemic. Tyatya adds that their integration is long overdue.

"What is fundamental about this march today is that as NUPSAW, we feel very strongly that the government had not met their constitutional obligation, in terms of giving our workers the dignity and respect that they deserve. Our workers are continuously being harassed and exploited by the authorities," he adds.

Tyatya mentions that  public service workers are time and again exposed and exploited and should be absorbed into the system to ensure that their safety is prioritised. He says that many of them are temporarily employed, offered a stipend without talk of being permanently employed. It is for this reason that protesting is necessary, says Tyatya.

Also read: Marching MSDF vowing to be catalysts of change

OFM News' Kekeletso Mosebetsi and Lee Simmons previously reported that the MSDF has vowed to be the catalyst of change as community demand seems to continuously fall on the metro and provincial government's deaf ears. The Mangaung pressure group further threatened to shut down the city if the government and Metro continue with their ongoing, what seems to be, uncooperative nature of conduct.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi and Lee Simmons