City of Tshwane calls for police intervention amid workers strike

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The City of Tshwane has called for police intervention following the torching of four vehicles amid ongoing workers strike.

Municipal workers have been on strike for the past seven weeks demanding salary increase.

The city has resolved to suspend bus services following the torching of the truck in Pretoria CBD on Wednesday.

The city’s human settlements MMC Ofentse Madzebatela said he is dismayed at the attack on a driver of a water tanker truck.

According to Madzebatela, the driver was physically assaulted but luckily was able to escape without sustaining any serious injuries.

“Due to the violent nature of the unprotected strike, the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) usually escorts water tankers when they do their rounds throughout.

“However, this time the TMPD delayed to arrive and the driver drove out on his own from Prince’s Park Depot to Region 4 where the delivery of much needed water was supposed to be made.

“The driver was ambushed as he was making his way out of the depot and assaulted. The water tanker serves the vulnerable residents of Olievenhoutbosch informal settlements in Region 4 and they will now be without water due to this criminal conduct,” he expressed.

Madzebatela added that it is now clear that the city is no longer dealing with an illegal strike action but organised crime needing police intervention.

He continued; “We are now dealing with a well-coordinated criminal attack on our infrastructure. Therefore, I would like to urge law enforcement agencies to act with haste and bring these criminals to book”.

A criminal case has been opened with the police.

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Meanwhile, Gauteng permanent delegates to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) have called for calm amid the violence and damage to the City of Tshwane that has characterized the labor dispute between the City and dismissed workers.

Mohammed Dangor, leader of the delegates said they asked the executive mayor(EM), Cilliers Brink to find an amicable solution to the dispute to avoid further disruptions to current and future service delivery.

“As part of their weeklong oversight visit to Gauteng, the delegates met with the EM, cabinet members responsible for water and sanitation, and Gauteng provincial government leadership with a view to discuss corrective measures and roll out plans to deal with water and sanitation challenges affecting Hammanskraal and other areas of the city.

“When asked about the dismissed one hundred and thirty-five municipal workers and if any mediation was solicited, mayor Brink said the city is in financial distress and simply can’t afford salary increases,” he said. 

Dangor added that mediation with the South African local government bargaining council ruled in favor of the workers, but the city has not accepted the outcome, resulting in a fall-out. 

Dangor stated that the ongoing labour dispute will only exacerbate the water and sanitation challenges affecting residents of the city, particularly Hammanskraal, where a total of twenty-three people died during a cholera outbreak in May this year.

He said the two parties must take the matter on arbitration.