PART 1: Protest Requires A Formula, It is A Protest for A Reason!

President of the Economic Freedom Fighters, Julius Malema said "Protest requires no formula it is a protest". If that's the case, why's the national shutdown pronounced two months prior? Political motivation or Pure Intention?

A) National Strikes are Good at Drawing Attention but Bad at Producing Immediate Desired Outcomes

The reason for this is that many of the issues that lead to protests or national shutdowns are longstanding and deeply rooted in history, society, the economy, and political landscape. A holiday march isn’t going to overturn these ?? at least not immediately.

The resignation of current presidency, cabinet reshuffle, and bashing of energy administrator Eskom isn’t going to overturn the deeply rooted problems in history, society, the economy and political landscape – at least not immediately.

B) While a national shutdown can bring attention to important issues, it may not necessarily lead to immediate resolution of key issues

Achieving sustainable change often requires a sustained effort over time and a willingness to work towards a common goal. This may involve a combination of actions as such protests, negotiations, and policy changes. Operative word being ‘combination’ of protests, negotiations and policy changes none which have collectively sufficed publicly or organized consistently leading up to the national shutdown. This the reason the national shutdown will not produce the desired outcomes or changes because root changes often require more than just a show of force.

C) Is the national shutdown a political motivation or are south Africans' needs going to be met over a sustained period?

There have been more than 435 strikes by south Africans during the period from 1954 to 1960 even more that continued. With about 3.11 million members in trade unions representing 25.3% of the formal work force the south African population is still experiencing rife economic and political conditions in many key areas. Proving that unfortunately most major strikes in South Africa don't have pure intentions or formula ( i.e., a combination of sustained protests, negotiations, and policy changes leading to common goal), as they are always dressed in many colours of opinion and agenda showing the strong political motivation that underlies many of the strikes since 1954. It’s 2023, marking a year before elections - is the National Shutdown just a holiday march or are south Africans’ needs going to be met over a sustained period?

We don’t know but we might have an idea of where things might lead.

Disclaimer: I am not an expert and this is not a post!

?Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGO_twsr5tU