Three weeks ago on, June 1,  South African public sector workers staged the largest strike since apartheid. That is right…the largest strike since apartheid.

The strike was called by the Congress of South African Trade Unions, or Cosatu, an conglomeration of about 1.8 million workers, most employed by national, provincial or local governments. The group’s unions demanded a 12 percent salary increase and other benefits, but lowered their wage demand to a 10 percent increase after recent talks.

During the talks, the government raised its initial offer of a 6 percent increase to 6.5 percent. This did not sit well with many strikers, and an indefinite strike in the public sector has been launched.

   Even children are not left out.

Why must people be at war just to feed their children?

Kameelah is a South Africa-based writer and political activist. She blogs at Kameelahwrites.

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