Strikers turn violent

TWO days after a Kempton Express journalist’s camera was smashed to pieces, more than 50 strikers were arrested in Croydon for public violence and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

According to Const Sharon Mahamba, Sebenza SAPS spokesman, some members from the Public Order Police Unit (POPS) were monitoring striking petrol attendants in the area when violence broke out on Thursday last week.

“The POPS members asked us for assistance as they did not have enough members. The strikers were marching and were seemingly peaceful but when they approached a petrol station, they noticed that petrol attendants were on duty and they got angry and started throwing stones,” she said.

One female officer sustained minor injuries and two police vehicles were damaged during the pelting. More than 50 strikers were arrested and will be charged with public violence and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

In an incident in Esther Park, nine petrol attendants were assaulted by strikers and six were forced to join the strikers. Three escaped.

“According to the attendants, two strikers arrived mid-morning and asked them why they were on duty. The men informed them they could not join the striking petrol attendants as they did not have enough taxi money to get to Johannesburg. The two men left and about half an hour later, a group of about 20 men arrived armed with knobkieries and sjamboks,” said Mahamba.

The nine petrol attendants were beaten and the strikers managed to take six of the strikers and force them to join them in their picketing. Three of their colleagues managed to escape.

“We were called to the scene but when we arrived none of the strikers were to be found. We got word that the strikers took the petrol attendants who were not striking to Tembisa,” she added.

Petrol attendants that are not striking have been victimised and assaulted. According to a petrol attendant who works in Van Riebeeck Park they were being monitored by striking petrol attendants.

“They came to the petrol station in a car as if to fill up. We noticed them and locked ourselves in the office. They stayed for about an hour and we made sure they had gone before we came out.

“We heard what they did to other attendants who were on duty during the strike,” she said.

The strike, which started last week, has seen thousands of National Union of Metalworkers South Africa (Numsa) members down tools across the country demanding a 12 per cent increase. Incidents of violence have been reported across the country, including the death of a petrol attendant in Cape Town who was allegedly attacked by striking petrol attendants last week Tuesday.

He was admitted to hospital where he later died.

This happened the same day striking petrol attendants attacked an EXPRESS journalist outside our offices on Voortrekker Road on Tuesday afternoon.

The incident happened shortly after 1pm when the workers gathered outside a service station across the road from our offices.

When they spotted her, they came across the road, grabbed the camera by its shoulder strap and pulled it. When she eventually let go, they smashed it on the road.

EXPRESS managed to retrieve the camera from the scene but the strikers got away with a long lens they broke off.

The camera card with the photographs taken was also found.

The strikers left shortly afterwards when the police arrived.