Municipal worker dies after ‘guards shoot’ workers at Steve Tshwete municipality

One worker was killed and three others injured in a shooting incident on Wednesday at the head office of the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality in Middelburg, Mpumalanga.

The gunmen are allegedly security guards from a private company employed by the municipal council.

Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the employees were shot at after they attempted to force their way inside the municipal buildings.

“Late last night, four people were shot and taken to hospital, but one of them died on his way to the hospital. Four tyres of the police vehicles were also stabbed,” Mohlala told Newzroom Afrika on Thursday morning.

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Mohlala said police were on the scene dealing with the situation at the municipality.

He said there were also reports that a second person had died, but police were yet to confirm this.

“It has not been reported to us as police. We just heard from rumours that there’s a second person that has passed on, but officially we know that one person has died and three others are in hospital after they were allegedly shot by the private security company that has been employed by the municipality to protect those premises,” Mohlala said.

The shooting incident comes after the municipality was planning to suspend about 100 employees who have been on strike since Monday last week.

The workers are demanding a salary increase and want their employment scale to be upgraded to level five in order for their salaries and benefits to be improved.

Earlier this year in April, the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality suspended 13 employees who were charged after taking part in an unprotected strike.

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe

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