Labour unrest is wreaking havoc in Tshwane 

28 July 2020

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is dismayed that the labour relations failure by the ANC administrators unlawfully deployed in Tshwane has continued into a second week, as striking workers once again down tools in the city.

Officials affiliated to the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) are disrupting core service delivery across all seven regions of the city.

On top of this, the ANC’s unlawful decision to dissolve the municipal council, remove legally elected DA councillors from their offices and impose inept administrators on the City who fail to give feedback to residents is making the situation worse.

Numerous electricity and water and sanitation teams have failed to report for duty, causing electricity and water outages to go unattended, with no feedback to residents.

DA representatives have received worrying reports of acts of sabotage where water valves are being shut or tampered with to further disrupt service delivery.

Incidents of intimidation are being reported across the city as non-striking workers are being threatened with violence if they continue to do their jobs.

In some areas, teams are working under the protection of officers from the Tshwane metro police so that they can carry on their duties.

Bus services in the city remain suspended and the bus depots have had to be secured to prevent striking workers from using them to block the main roads.

Waste collection has been disrupted across the city, and in some regions it has been totally suspended. The contractors are refusing to drive their routes, resulting in garbage piling up in the streets.

DA representatives have also reported that one of the city’s clinics was closed by striking workers. This is deeply troubling, particularly as the city battles to contain the spread of Covid-19.

The ANC administrators received an interdict on Friday 24 July to prevent further strike action from taking place.

The latest strike action and disruptions are indicative of how they have dismally failed to enforce this.

Instead of working to create a conducive and disciplined labour environment, the administrators  have allowed striking workers to run riot across the city.

The Democratic Alliance calls on the administrators and the provincial government to ensure that the public order police are urgently deployed to Tshwane to monitor and protect all important infrastructure in the city.

Issued byRandall Williams,DA Tshwane Mayoral Candidate, 28 July 2020