Municipality to take action against Samwu members
This comes after members affiliated to the union took to the street in what the municipality deems as an illegal strike.
Close to 150 members affiliated to the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) in Westonaria were summoned to a disciplinary hearing at the council chambers within the Westonaria Local Municipality and have been slapped with two charges each.
The charges are for taking part in an illegal strike and being absent from duty without permission.
This was last week Thursday (10 July) and comes after having embarked a massive protest action in a bid to have the Westonaria’s municipal manager Thabo Ndlovu resign with immediate effect following allegations of corruption in his office.
Allegations against Ndlovu include unauthorized payments allegedly made to the acting Chief Financial Officer as well as the approval of unauthorized leave encashment for senior managers. Samwu further accused Ndlovu of not following the set procedures when appointing senior managers within the municipality.
During this time, members of the union also demanded the sacking of other non performing department heads within the municipality.
According to the union’s shop steward Dumisani Chiya, members have been wrongfully charged despite having applied for the strike.
“We went on a proper and organized march and nothing was illegal with what we did,” Chiya said.
“The only thing we wanted to do was air our frustrations with regards to the way issues are handled within council and we did just that in the presence of police and traffic officials,” says Chiya who adds it is unreasonable for the council to turn around and then say that the strike was illegal and unprotected.
He adds that there is more to the story that meets the eye and has accused the council including the Westonaria Local Municipality executive mayor Nonkoliso Tundzi of trying to intimidate them with the charges after having demanded a report into the outcomes of the municipal manager’s investigation.
Asked on what’s next for the union, Chiya says that they are yet to discuss a way forward but is adamant that they will not back down from this.
The Herald has since approached Westonaria municipal spokesperson Kgabane Madiehe who says that he will revert back with comment in due time.Â
