Lerato Mbhiza
The South African municipal workers union (Samwu) said the mayor of Tshwane, Cilliers Brink, should pay the workers what is due to them to avoid more violence in the city and also denied that the union is involved in any strike action.
Samwu Gauteng Province spokesperson Mpho Tladinyana said they condemned any acts of violence that seek to undermine the legitimate demands by workers.
“We reiterate that our members are, and have always been at work, the Union has not sanctioned any strike action.”
This comes after two trucks of the municipality were burned allegedly by members of Samwu.
The vehicles were torched outside the Princess Park Depot along Nana Sita Charlotte Maxeke and Es’kia Mphahlele streets.
City spokesperson Selby Bokaba said a water truck belonging to the city had just drawn water from the depot for delivery at some region 4 informal settlements when it was set alight.
A bakkie belonging to the city’s asset protection monitoring unit was also torched in the same precinct as the truck, Bokaba said. “Two employees were injured and taken to hospital”.
The injured employees are responsible for the protection of the city’s assets, such as the depots and substations. At the time of their ambush, they were monitoring the depots, Bokaba said.
Brink has called on the police to safeguard Tshwane saying the violence is going to spiral out of control “and we need the South African Police at a national level to address this situation,” said Brink.
The seven-week strike for salary increases had led to the interruption in service delivery in the city and affected electricity, water restoration and refuse removal.
Tshwane Community Safety MMC, Grandi Theunissen, said officials have evidence that proves Samwu members are involved in the violent protests in the metro.
Theunissen said if the union wants to negotiate, it must get its members under control.
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