Riot police on standby for rival May Day marches

Two separate marches to celebrate Workers’ Day — organised by rival trade unions Cosatu and Saftu — are expected to wind their way through Durban on Tuesday.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions march will take their members from City Hall to Curries Fountain‚ while the South African Federation of Trade Unions contingent is expected to walk from Botha’s Park and end at City Hall.

Riot police from both the SAPS and eThekwini Metro were deployed en masse.

Among the ANC leaders expected to be part of Cosatu’s march are Deputy President David Mabuza and the interim leadership body of the ruling party in the province.

The ANC in KZN finds itself in flux‚ on the cusp of a provincial elective conference and under temporary leadership.

This after a group of “rebels” took the party to court and successfully had the provincial executive committee dissolved.

Their challenge was founded on irregularities in the election process.

The planned routes of the marches have intentionally put distance between the rival trade unionists.

This is a developing story.