In the wake of it’s release, www.mobserver.co.za has received a plethora of complaints from residents who feel that the open threats made towards the safety of residents and councillors should be acknowledged by local authorities as a contravention of the court order that was obtained by the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality against striking employees, restraining municipal employees for partaking in unlawful strike action; unlawfully intimidating, threatening or harming any personnel, contractors, employees or clients of the municipality.
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The letter stated that municipal employees have been “provoked by the Executive Mayor, Mshlonishwa Masilela, and acting Municipal Manager, Thokozile Zulu’s decision to suspend members of their delegation”, which they deemed as a “futile exercise of abusing the time and resources of the institution.”
The letter cautioned residents that should those letters of suspension not be withdrawn by Monday, they will suspend service delivery which will not be the “fault of workers but that of the Mayor.”
The letter “cautioned managers and directors to sit [stay] at home because workers will be at the Civic Centre to prevent the Mayor and illegal [sic] acting MM from entering the building.” Body guards were also instructed not to escort the Mayor to the building.
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The letter further instructed councillors to table a motion of no confidence against Mayor Masilela.
Throughout the letter, workers stated that they made a “sober decision to not take the Mayor seriously” as well as calling on the public to follow suit.
They further labelled the Mayor as illegally appointed and called him “so disturbing”.
The letter also stated that “councillors should reject his Mayoral Committee Meetings and force him to resign or face the motion because their reputation has been tarnished and the only way to redeem themselves is to adhere to workers advice.”
The letter finally ended with an instruction that all offices of the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality, including that of Hendrina will remain closed on Monday.
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