Johannesburg — TENS of thousands of people took to the streets in four provinces yesterday to protest against soaring electricity and food prices.

The one-day strike took a toll on production as it brought some parts of the car manufacturing, textile and mining sectors to a standstill.

Members of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) backed by its alliance partners - the African National Congress (ANC) and South African Communist Party - laid down tools in Gauteng, Eastern Cape, Limpopo and North West.

The mass action saw marches in cities with union leaders registering their "disgust" with the rising costs of living.

Many commuters were not able to get to work as taxi drivers and operators expressed their solidarity by participating in the strike . The metro bus service in Johannesburg was cancelled for the day.

The strike is a precursor to a national stayaway on August 6.

That week will also see protests in support of ANC president Jacob Zuma who is going to court for his corruption trial, and Cosatu and its allies have warned they will bring the country to a standstill.

"Today's strike was very well attended. The numbers have increased with each round, so we can expect an even bigger impact on August 6," Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini said.

SA's car manufacturing industry appeared to be hardest hit yesterday.

Volkswagen SA spokesman Bill Stephens said the Uitenhage plant was shut down.

A Daimler plant in East London was also shut down and Ford closed its plants in Port Elizabeth and Silverton, near Pretoria.

On the mining front, the effect was mixed.

About 90% of the members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) , Cosatu's largest affiliate, supported the strike. "The NUM is pleased by the turnout and will flex its muscles even more for the August 6 action," union spokesman Lesiba Seshoka said.

Gold Fields reported that its second-biggest mine, Kloof, had shut down, while operations at the group's other two mines were almost normal.

AngloGold Ashanti's West Wits operations were not affected, but the group's Vaal River operations were .

Anglo Platinum said 73% of its workers stayed away at its Twickenham mine and 36% at its Polokwane smelter.

The strike also negatively affected the textile industry, with the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers' Union claiming it had virtually ground to a halt. Judging by a survey of 135 companies in the four provinces, about 72% of the union's 17100 members had laid down tools.

Meanwhile, an Ipsos Markinor survey released yesterday showed that in the light of income and price trends during May last year and May this year, Cosatu had "good reason to be unhappy". Food prices increased 16,8% while earnings per capita increased 12%. During the same period fuel prices increased 35,6%.