Paul Nyathi|South African Financial union Sasbo has urged South Africans and visitors to fill up on petrol and withdraw any needed cash ahead of its planned banking strike on Friday (27 September).

Speaking to the SABC, the union’s general secretary Joe Kokela said the country must prepare for a ‘total shutdown of banking services’.

“The total shutdown speaks to anything and everything that has got to do with banking in this country; it will come to a standstill,” he said.

“The ATM might also not be working on the day of the strike and even those who are using the swipe machines, those machines might not be working.

“We are appealing to the people, especially the motorists that they better make sure that on Thursday they fill up their tanks. We are appealing that they withdraw enough cash on Thursday.”

Kokela has previously said that he expects between 30,000 to 40,000 members across the financial industry to be involved in the strike action on the day.

The protest action has also received additional support from South Africa’s largest trade federation Cosatu, which may see the numbers swell.

According to Sasbo’s website five major marches are planned throughout the country in Johannesburg, Durban, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.

Kokela said that the union’s members in Gauteng will march from Cosatu headquarters in Braamfontein to Bank City in the Johannesburg CBD.

This march is expected to be made up of some 15,000 to 20,000 protesters alone.

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