Thousands demonstrated in South Africa Wednesday as part of a nationwide public service strike, the South African SAPA news agency reported, according to dpa. Schools and hospitals were closed across the country and public transport limited in many areas as the public sector workers took their demands for a 10-per-cent pay increase - down from an earlier demand for 12 per cent - to the streets. Marches were disciplined and peaceful with one isolated act of violence reported, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) said. However, there were sharply conflicting claims on the turnout with one union saying 600,000 workers took part in countrywide marches, while the government put the figure at 70,000. "Hundreds of thousands" of workers were participating in the strike in one way or another, according to Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) spokesman Patrick Craven.
