Tens of thousands of South Africans have marched in protest over new tolls² on roads in what unions says is "the first warning shot" to government.

数以万计的南非人举行游行，抗议新的道路通行费，工会称这是对政府的“首次警告”。

The Cosatu labour federation³ says the proposed system will hurt the poor - and has threatened more nationwide rallies if it is not scrapped⁴.

The ruling ANC says the impact of the road tolls on the poor are exaggerated.

The protests were also directed against labour brokering⁵, when agencies hire workers on short-term contracts.

The marches, organised by Cosatu (Congress of South African Trade Unions), took place in 32 towns and cities across South Africa.

"We have come to here to fire the first warning shot," Cosatu leader Zwelinzima Vavi told marchers who brought the central district business in Johannesburg to a standstill for most of the day.

"And in our chamber⁶, there is still a lot of bullets."

'Highway robbery'

It was one of the biggest marches in recent years, and looked like the mass demonstrations⁷ against the apartheid（种族隔离） system during the 1980s and 1990s, says the BBC's Milton Nkosi in Johannesburg.

The atmosphere was good-natured, he says, with marchers singing, chanting and waving placards（布告，招贴） that read "labour broking equals modern day slavery" and "stop E-tolling⁸, it's highway robbery".

Electronic tolling is planned for roads between Johannesburg and the capital Pretoria.

"The tolls will put a burden on the poor," Mr Vavi told reporters ahead of the marches.

"We're saying to the government, we remain open to talk to you. Call us, we will come running to find a resolution."

The government upgraded existing motorways⁹ in and around Johannesburg for the 2010 football World Cup.

It says the work was not free, and it now wants the electronic tolling system to retrospectively（回顾地） finance the roads.

The introduction of the tolls has already been delayed several times, after companies warned the fees would raise the cost of doing business.

The ruling party said it has already responded to concerns that the tolls would hurt the poor by exempting¹⁰ from paying buses and taxi vans that carry commuters in and out of major towns.

South Africa's government has said it also capped monthly fees on the new tolls at $70 (£45) - but correspondents say commuters may already be paying the almost same amount for older toll¹ routes.