THE municipal strike in Tshwane took a violent turn yesterday when a union leader was killed during a scuffle with police.
The official was among more than 1000 Tshwane municipal bus service and waste removal workers who marched to the the city's bus depot in Church Street demanding that the municipality make public a forensic investigation report into allegations of corruption among top officials.
According to Tshwane municipality's community safety spokesperson Willie Baloyi, a group of bus drivers converged on the bus depot and were later joined by another group from the waste removal depot in Pretoria West.
"They were told that the gathering was illegal but they refused to disperse. They started vandalising the offices, breaking windows and doors. They went on to throw stones at passing vehicles.
"We then used rubber bullets to disperse them," Baloyi said.
He said 12 people were arrested and charged with public violence, illegal gathering and intimidation.
Baloyi said a metro police officer was seriously injured during the fracas and had to be rushed to the Zuid Afrikaanse Hospital in Pretoria East.
He said they also learnt from unconfirmed reports that a senior union official was fatally wounded during the fracas.
"It is unfortunate that a person died during the fracas," Baloyi said.
Samwu Tshwane regional chairperson Veli Kubheka confirmed that the official died during the standoff.
"Our members were not violent at all and were shot at because they were in an illegal gathering.
"We condemn the metro police's strong-handedness on harmless protesters. They should have arrested them instead of opening fire on them," Kubheka said.
Samwu is demanding that all non-performing senior managers in the municipalities be fired instead of being redeployed within the municipality.
Samwu Gauteng provincial secretary Ntsikelelo Klass vowed that the ongoing strikes (at Johannesburg Metrobus strike, in Tshwane and Ekurhuleni) would continue until issues raised were resolved.
"We have called upon all our members to be ready for a secondary strike in solidarity with members on strike," Klass said.
Samwu official dies during protests
THE municipal strike in Tshwane took a violent turn yesterday when a union leader was killed during a scuffle with police.
The official was among more than 1000 Tshwane municipal bus service and waste removal workers who marched to the the city's bus depot in Church Street demanding that the municipality make public a forensic investigation report into allegations of corruption among top officials.
According to Tshwane municipality's community safety spokesperson Willie Baloyi, a group of bus drivers converged on the bus depot and were later joined by another group from the waste removal depot in Pretoria West.
"They were told that the gathering was illegal but they refused to disperse. They started vandalising the offices, breaking windows and doors. They went on to throw stones at passing vehicles.
"We then used rubber bullets to disperse them," Baloyi said.
He said 12 people were arrested and charged with public violence, illegal gathering and intimidation.
Baloyi said a metro police officer was seriously injured during the fracas and had to be rushed to the Zuid Afrikaanse Hospital in Pretoria East.
He said they also learnt from unconfirmed reports that a senior union official was fatally wounded during the fracas.
"It is unfortunate that a person died during the fracas," Baloyi said.
Samwu Tshwane regional chairperson Veli Kubheka confirmed that the official died during the standoff.
"Our members were not violent at all and were shot at because they were in an illegal gathering.
"We condemn the metro police's strong-handedness on harmless protesters. They should have arrested them instead of opening fire on them," Kubheka said.
Samwu is demanding that all non-performing senior managers in the municipalities be fired instead of being redeployed within the municipality.
Samwu Gauteng provincial secretary Ntsikelelo Klass vowed that the ongoing strikes (at Johannesburg Metrobus strike, in Tshwane and Ekurhuleni) would continue until issues raised were resolved.
"We have called upon all our members to be ready for a secondary strike in solidarity with members on strike," Klass said.
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