Interdict puts stop to strike

PROTESTING workers from the Mangaung local municipality dispersed yesterday after management served an interdict on them to stop an "unprotected strike" at their head office.

Workers gathered on the lawns of Bram Fischer Building as part of their ongoing protests against Mangaung municipal manager Sandile Msibi over allegations of nepotism and broken labour agreements.

The area between the Bram Fischer Building and the old city hall was cordoned off by the police.

The workers were unhappy with the "authenticity" of a copy of the interdict shown to them by riot police deployed at the municipal head office.

But they decided to leave so that the legality of the interdict could be established after talks with the police, SA Municipal Workers Union spokesman Pule Molalenyane said.

"We suspect that he [Msibi] acted on his own in getting the interdict and did not have the support of the broader management team," he said.

Municipal spokesman Qondile Khedama said a committee had been set up to look into the union's demands.