Vehicles petrol bombed: Strikers have gone too far, says employer
As NUMSA decides on a new wage officer, a Berea garage owner is lucky to have extinguished fires after two of his vehicles were petrol bombed in an incident relating to the motor industry strike.
TWO cars were petrol bombed outside a Berea garage on Tuesday morning in escalating strike action that has plagued Durban over the past three weeks.
“It has gone too far!” said George Jacovides, owner of the Bosch Car Service (Glenwood Zenex Service Station) on King Dinizulu Road, moments after he had to extinguish two of his vehicles parked across the road from his garage near Tollgate bridge.
Jacovides was on his way to gym when the incident occurred. “We had two vehicles parked on the pavement across the road which is something only my staff would know. I spotted two men when I walked out near the cars and thought they could be trying to break into the vehicles, then I saw them throw something at the cars. I thought for a second it might have been a brick but then the cars lit up and there was fire. I realised it was petrol bombs made with buddy bottles,” he said.
Jacovides was shocked by the incident but was forced to act quickly and promptly used an extinguisher to put out the fires while the two men fled under Tollgate bridge.
Thoroughly disappointed by the incident, Jacovides said this was the fourth week since a number of his staff had embarked on the national motor industry strike. “I have some staff members working but those working have been threatened by the workers who are striking. Last Monday we had picketing outside and strikers carrying steel poles intimidated staff. Umbilo police and Chubb arrived and were able to remove their weapons,” he said.
The shocked owner said he was glad he caught them in the act because the vehicles would have been seriously damaged had he not seen what had happened.
“The strike has gone too far and this doesn’t justify their cause. It’s most disappointing knowing that my own staff are responsible for creating such issues. How do you react when the strike is settled and they come back to work?” he asked.
Umbilo police responded to the scene immediately after their Visible Policing Unit was called to attend the complaint. Members of the SAPS Bomb Squad were also called to analyse the crime scene.
Sergeant Beverly Manqele, communications officer at Umbilo police said, “Workshop and garage owners need to be extra vigilant during the strike period. They must give a description of the suspicious people and report malicious damage to property, public violence, trespassing and assaults to 1011 and the station.”
Umbilo police detectives are investigating a case of malicious damage to property. Any person who witnessed the incident can contact Manqele on 079 500 0719.
Meanwhile, National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, NUMSA convened a meeting with the Motor National Shop stewards council on Monday, 1 October to discuss the negotiations between the National Office Bearers (NOB) and the Retail Motor Industry (RMI) employers at the weekend.
Castro Ngobese, NUMSA’s national spokesman said shop stewards would be reporting on the employers’ offer to striking NUMSA workers and provide a mandate from workers for the Special National Exectutive Committee (NEC) which is scheduled for Wednesday, 2 October. “Until the NUMSA special NEC takes a final decision on the continuation or settlement of the industry , we are advising that the strike continues.”
