Tens of PSA members in the Free State walked from the east of Bloemfontein on Thursday morning 10 November 2022, to the centre of the city where the Office of the Premier is located. Their walk to the OR Tambo House, which houses the Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela’s office was to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the government’s proposed wage increase. 

The PSA’s acting provincial manager, Clement Fandie, said the memorandum outlines their rejection and disappointment with how the government handled the 2022/23 public servants wage increase negotiations. “The current governing party has indicated people first and how they are the government of the people. What they are doing to the public servants is not a reflection of their word.”

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What he wishes for people to bear in mind is that the government still owes the public servants an increase from 2020. “Now, the government still does not want to give the public servants what they deserve, instead, they implement 3% unitarily,” explained Fandie. Although they were informed beforehand that Ntombela will not be available to accept the memorandum, it was expected that the provincial MEC responsible for Treasury, Gadija Brown, would accept it. Fandie said they still felt it is important for them to express their dissatisfaction with the manner they are being treated. “You know when you are the government for the people by the people, you have to ensure that the same people who put you in power are happy,” he said.

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To the PSA, the demonstration they embarked on is to show that the current president is doing the same thing that the former president did. “President Cyril Ramaphosa does not care for the public servants – bear in mind that whatever he does to the public servants, it is the same to the community. What he is doing is a disgrace to the country's people.” 

During one of their picketings at the province’s foremost trauma hospital, the Pelonomi Hospital, Thabo Nkomo, Nehawu’s secretary at the Hospital, said people must remember that the last time they had an increase was in 2017. "Currently, the employer is offering us 3%. As employees, we feel that this offer is an insult." He added that the cash gratuity that the employer wants to offer is not even taxable. According to a poster promoting the march, the government still owes public employees 2020's salary increases.

Lizzy Mashilela who works at the National Hospital in Bloemfontein as the Federation of Unions of South Africa's (Fedusa) gender coordinator, stated that they are tired of the employer’s tricks. “The least the employer can do is give us at least the 10% we are asking for.” 

Wally Steyn, who works for the PSA at the Pelonomi Hospital, said they are very dissatisfied with the 3% the employer wants to give them. “As time goes on, leading up to the 10th [of November], more people will join us because people are tired. Life is tough out here. 3% means absolutely nothing to us.”  

Other picketings in Bloemfontein between 3 November and 9 November include those at the Lengau Traffic Testing Centre, the MUCPP Clinic, the Mmabana Clinic, the National Hospital, and the Universitas Hospital.

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