EFF blames mayor for ‘mismanaging’ Tshwane strike

The City of Tshwane is struggling to get its service delivery back on track due to a salary increase dispute that saw members of the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) go on a month-long strike.

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Tshwane caucus chief whip Godwin Ratikwane said service delivery was at an all-time low due to the “blatant mismanagement” of the strike.

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“Because we have a mayor that is trigger-happy, and not able to sit down and address issues, we are now stuck in a situation where, whatever the city tried to save in terms of the increase in salaries is being lost in infrastructure damages…”

He said residents should take on the city for expecting them to pay for services not being delivered.

“That’s wrong. The city should focus on getting the workers to return to work and giving them their deserved salary increment. Those who were dismissed should be reinstated so the city can return to normal.”

Ratikwane has accused the city of running away from its accountability.

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“When it rains, it pours, and the city has lost control completely. Nobody is currently leading that strike and an unled strike is a form of anarchy that one cannot control,” he said.

Tshwane operations hampered

Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba said disruptions caused by the illegal strike continue to hamper operations.

“We understand that several areas in the city have not had their waste collected, and we are mapping these to ensure we address them.

“While challenges do arise, often occasioned by intimidation of employees and threats to personnel and assets of both the city and contractors, we are collecting waste in areas across the city, although these collections we know are delayed or not in line with expected waste collection schedules,” he said.

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Bokaba said the city was following dedicated plans to address areas with the longest backlogs, “including night-time cleaning, security escorts during the day, and additional support to address areas with high levels of backlogs. We need residents to leave their bins out as we move through different areas.”

AfriForum has sent a letter to the SA Police Service, the police minister and police commissioner demanding security for refuse removal workers.