222 suspended municipal employees will hear this week if they will return to work, or be sent packing.
The staff members, mostly from the Community Services Department, were placed under paid suspension after a dispute over unpaid overtime ended in a violent confrontation outside the Council chambers on September 25.
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During the confrontation, a rock was thrown at Mayor, Ntuthuko Mahlaba, who sustained a bruise to the face.
The suspensions have impaired service delivery, most notably in the Waste Management section, with refuse bags piling on verges for up to two weeks as skeleton staff grappled to deal with their increased workload.
“The disciplinary process is underway and will be finalised by Friday,” promised Municipal Manager, Muzi Mayisela. “We needed to send a message as the municipality that, as an organisation, we will not tolerate lawlessness and anarchy. There are processes to be followed to resolve staff disputes. The councillors who were held hostage at the Council chamber had nothing to do with what was happening regarding the payment of overtime,” he concluded.
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