Political ambitions vs public welfare? Samwu strike paralyses city

Pretoria is on the verge of collapse with ongoing violent incidents related to a seven-week service delivery strike.

While the City of Tshwane and the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) continue to do battle over salary increases, residents across the city are left without water, have overflowing manholes with sewage running down the roads, buses not operating and rubbish piling up.

The Gauteng permanent delegates to the National Council of Provinces have called for calm amid the violence and damage to the city that has characterised the labour dispute between it and the dismissed workers.

Delegates leader Mohammed Dangor is among those calling for the parties to take the matter to arbitration.

“The ongoing labour dispute will only exacerbate the water and sanitation challenges affecting residents of the city, particularly Hammanskraal, where 23 people died during a cholera outbreak in May this year,” he said.

Gauteng Samwu provincial secretary Mpho Tladinyane said it condemned the acts of violence which sought to undermine the legitimate demands of workers.

“We reiterate that our members are, and have always been, at work. The union has not sanctioned any strike action,” he said.

“By dragging its feet in resolving the salary increase impasse between itself and its employees, the city has created an opportunity for opportunistic and criminal elements to hijack the noble demands by workers,” he said.

Municipal workers are also residents of this city, they have no interest in interrupting service delivery as they too will be affected.”

Tladinyane said they had warned mayor Cilliers Brink that the mishandling of the impasse would have severe consequences for the city and employees given the conducive environment created for opportunists.

“Brink should just swallow his pride and pay workers what is due to them. The time is now for the mayor to put aside his pride, political ambitions and instructions and do right by workers,” he said.

Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union regional manager Lynette Burns said Brink was causing a rift between residents and employees.

“He shouldn’t be surprised if the residents start taking matters into their hands and protest. He can’t blame the employees for that too,” she said.

Political analyst Piet Croucamp said the city and Brink were trying to follow the example of the Western Cape by laying down the law and hoping that those who opposed it would give in.

But he said the difference was that Tshwane did not have the money for salary increases.