Chatter
inside the taxi as the people discuss the Strike Action. As we near the Power Station the travel comes
to almost a standstill. Taxi’s and cars
are both moving forward at a snail’s pace, and reaching the main road toward
the station we see a tree stump placed across the road. No one can drive through it forcing the taxi’s
and cars to drive on the side of the road into the open veld.
Our taxi
drives makes his way up the road but cannot go much further and finally coming
to a halt. The doors are opened and we
get out of the taxi, walking up towards the main gate, people have gathered on
both sides of the road, to my left and to my right people have parked their
cars and standing outside waiting to see what is going to happen.
I look for
some familiar faces and walk over towards them as I approach them we chat about
the strike. I ask one of the ladies ‘So
what time will this be over, do you think we would be able to go in?’ She laughs at me and shakes her head as she
answers me ‘No, it will never, never be over today.’ All the girls laugh as they carry on
talking. One of the young girls recites ‘My
father was a gardener and my mother worked as a kitchen maid. That’s why I am striking’ Ha ha all the girls
laughed and danced. Wow, this was interesting;
I have never been so close to a strike in my entire life.
While we
were standing next to the road, paper and beer bottles were strewn on the road,
green broken glass everywhere. I thought
I would not drive here; I would want to puncher my cars wheels. But I could hardly believe it when one of the
protestors came racing up in a bakie and threw tires on the ground, not more
than 5 meters away from us. The next
thing I see them lighting the tires, hmm this is serious.
I text my
boss’s secretary that I am outside and cannot come into the property hoping she
can do something from her side. She
texts me that I should walk up to the main gate my boss is there and will let
me in. Ha ha what a joke as I approach the
protestors I get stopped ‘mam turn around and go back’.
The day
drags on and the people increase in numbers when the police arrives they speak
to the protestors and then drive away.
Now think
on this for a minute there are no facilities to go to the bathroom. I ask one of the girls so where do we go to
the bathroom? I need to go now. They all pack up laughing, there is a tree,
go behind it. Hmmm that’s not nice, no I
will hold it. It’s only been 3 hours I
am sure I will make it. I hope.
Finally our
taxi lets us know the guys want to leave I tell the girls that are with me the
guys want to leave. We all start walking
down the road towards the taxi. As I take
my seat I must tell you it was a welcome feeling to actually sit down
again. I could feel my legs shaking, I am
obviously not built to stand and more than 3 hours is definitely not my thing.
We leave
the Power Station and go back home. When
I get home I feel a little guilty for not staying and trying to get into the
Power Station.
This
morning on my return to work I heard reports of people being shot, and locked
up. I was so glad we left at the time we
decided.
The strike
is still continuing and we are waiting to see what happens next.
