A group of people, identified as protesting members of Municipal Employees & Civil Servants Union (MECSU), have left the Boksburg Civic Centre in a ‘shameful’ mess.

This is after they allegedly defecated and urinated on the floor at the covered entrance of the municipal offices.
Garbage was also dumped on the premises.

MECSU secretary-general Vukile Mlungwana said: “We distance our trade union and its members from these allegations.”
A group of disgruntled MECSU-affiliated workers, who are demanding that contract workers be converted into permanent employees with fair wages and proper tools of trade, have been protesting outside the municipal offices in the Boksburg CBD for the past couple of months.

An employee, who shared a video of the mess, warned colleagues about the ‘unacceptable’ state, calling out the unpleasant behaviour.

“MECSU members have littered, urinated and relieved themselves at the entrance of Boksburg CCC. Finance office smells like urine, which will affect the employees and service delivery,” said the concerned employee.
“Stay away from Boksburg municipal offices till this is all cleared. When is law going to restore order?”

Employees pointed out that although the mess has since been cleaned up, the situation remains tense, with customers fearful of visiting the civic centre to pay their bills or attend to other service delivery matters.

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High Court order

Our sister publication, Germiston City News, had reported that the City of Ekurhuleni has secured a High Court order to enforce picketing rules during the ongoing strike by members of MECSU.

The order, issued by the Labour Court in Johannesburg on October 1, compels striking workers to adhere to lawful protest conduct and refrain from intimidation, violence, or any actions that disrupt municipal services.

The ruling requires MECSU and its members to:
• Appoint marshals to monitor picketing at designated sites.
• Restrict demonstrations to approved areas between 07:00 and 17:00 on working days.
• Avoid unlawful behaviour such as intimidation, preventing non-striking employees or the public from accessing premises, damaging property, or assaulting individuals.
• Do not wear masks, carry dangerous weapons, or have inflammable materials.

The city had previously emphasised in a statement that it will not hesitate to enforce the order in full and hold violators accountable.

“This ruling protects the rights of residents to uninterrupted services while ensuring that the strike remains peaceful and within the framework of the law,” said city spokesperson Zweli Dlamini.
Mlungwana had previously told City News that they had always guided their members to conduct themselves within the rules, and they had had no reports of misconduct.

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