SG Coal joins the High Court application to end the apocalyptic strike entering second year

Local attorney, Andre Brandmuller, may have made a few foes in the municipality and council, but has the backing of residents, and now also one of Eskom’s main coal providers and municipality’s main revenue contributors, SG Coal.

SG Coal has applied to be added as second applicant in Mr Brandmuller’s application to the Middelburg High Court, seeking an urgent interdict against striking municipal employees, the municipality, Mayor Mhlonishwa Masilela, Cooperative Governance MEC Mandla Ndlovu, the local SAPS and councillors; in an effort to immediately restore all municipal services, end the strike and bringing violent strike instigators to justice.

Mr Brandmuller has received more than 500 WhatsApp messages, SMS messsages and emails in support of the litigation.

Apart from that, he’s also received the written support from four serving councillors to continue with the litigation, further seeking cost orders against all respondents, apart from the SAPS.

The SAPS has not filed opposing papers against Tuesday’s court proceeding seeking urgent relief against the ongoing strike, the discontinuation of services and the violent intimidation of the public and colleagues willing to work, by striking municipal employees.

The municipality has obtained two interdicts against the ongoing illegal strike, one in September 2021 from the Middelburg High Court, and the other from the Labour Court in May this year.

Contempt of court procedures against strike instigators have also been filed.

The municipality has filed opposing papers to Mr Brandmuller and SG Coal’s litigation on the grounds that interdicts have already been granted.

In the opposing papers, the municipality points the finger to both striking employees, and more scathing at the local police force, who the municipality says is in contempt of court, for not upholding the law and allowing the anarchy, vandalism and attacks to continue.

Meanwhile taxpayers, who are compelled to continue settling estimated municipal bills, despite a three-month estimation threshold, and have forked out more than R180 million on salaries for striking employees.

The municipality argues that Mr Brandmuller and SG Coal’s application for an urgent order of relief, is not urgent as interdicts remain enforceable.

But, no one is enforcing them, employees are still striking and residents have to pay for the mess.

Residents have lauded Mr Brandmuller who has exhausted all avenues to seek an amicable solution, with the municipality even cancelling scheduled meetings with him on the authority’s request, to find a multi-partisan solution to the labour disputes which has seen Steve Tshwete Municipality slipping from one of the country’s top five municipalities to the laughingstock of the local government sphere.

SG Coal has forked out more than R300 000 to maintain and upgrade roads since the series of strikes ensued last September.

The company contributes almost R1 million each month in vehicle licencing and registration costs.

SG Coal is one of Eskom’s most prolific coal providers, moving around large amounts of coal to local power stations every month.

The company employs 1800 local employees who also contributes to Middelburg’s municipal money coffers with rates and taxes.