Johannesburg - Hundreds of public servants marched through the streets of Johannesburg on Thursday to demand better wages.
  
Public Servants' Association (PSA) members dressed in black t-shirts danced and sang, "amandla, awethu", as they walked peacefully down Bree Street in the central business district, towards the Gauteng premier's office to hand over their memorandum.
 
Some carried placards stating "Bafun' imali abasebenzi" (Workers want money) and "If you want to pay peanuts, employ monkeys".
   
An official representing Gauteng premier Nomvula Mokonyane accepted a memorandum of demands from the marchers at noon.
  
"We take note of your memorandum and demands and we will make sure it gets to (Public Service) Minister Richard Baloyi," Ignatius Jacobs, the head of the planning commission in Gauteng, told protesters outside the premier's office.
  
The memorandum contained a list of demands, including an 8.6% salary increase and a housing subsidy of R1000, backdated to April 1.
  
The PSA was happy with the strike turn-out in Johannesburg, union officials said.
  
"We've had a very good turn-out," PSA spokesman Manie de Clerq said.
   
The PSA staged marches in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Mmabatho, Polokwane and Port Elizabeth.
  
In Durban public servants, undeterred by the rain, gathered at Botha Park to march to the city hall, to hand over a memorandum of
demands to a representative in the premier's office.
 
About 200 workers marched along Dr Pixley ka Seme (West Street) down Mncadi Avenue (Victoria Embankment) and ending at the offices of the department of education and transport, called Truro House.
  
The members sang and danced and held placards reading: "6.5% is a joke" and "Feel it, PSA is here".
  
PSA members handed over their memorandum to special advisor to KwaZulu-Natal premier, Sipho Mdhluli.
  
De Clerq said they would only know by Monday how many of the PSA's 200 000 members heeded the call to strike.
  
The PSA would first wait to hear the outcome of another round of talks with Baloyi before deciding whether to continue striking next
week.
  
Union leaders were scheduled to meet with Baloyi at 15:00.
  
The PSA said it would give the minister seven days to give feedback on the memorandum before taking further action.
  
In the meantime, workers were asked to return to work on Monday August 2.
  
"We will assess the situation and see what we do next week," said De Clerq.
  
Workers who could not make any of the marches were told to stay away from work as a sign of dissatisfaction over the government's
offer.
  
The PSA planned more marches on Friday, in Pretoria, Nelspruit and Bloemfontein, said De Clerq.
  
It was also announced on Thursday that another march would take place from Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown, Johannesburg on
Friday at 10:00.
  
Public servants working in essential services sectors did not take part in the mass action.
  
Trade unions who were part of the PSA included the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union, the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA, the Police and Prison Civil Rights Union and the SA Medical Association.

- Sapa