‘Dis Nou Genoeg’ to approach High Court
The new Residents Forum operating under the handle: “Dis Nou Genoeg!” will be approaching the High Court of Middelburg on March 8 to apply for an interdict against the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality, resigned Municipal Manager Bheki Khenisa and striking employees.
Alongside the group’s application they will also be providing the court with a dossier containing coloured photos that capture the deterioration and damage to Middelburg’s infrastructure due to the strike, including that of a persistent sewer leak that runs into the premises of a local pre-school.
• The group will be interdicting the municipality to restore municipal administrative services to the residents of Middelburg.
• Interdicting and restraining municipal employees for partaking in unlawful strike action; unlawfully intimidating, threatening or harming any personnel, contractors, employees or clients of the municipality.
• Restraining strikers from unlawfully obstructing access to any premises of the municipality by locking gates, obstructing roads, or protesting in front of such premises.
• From unlawfully preventing or restricting freedom of movement of the municipality’s contractors, employees, representatives or visitors.
• From damaging any property of the municipality or that of any contractors, employees, representatives or any other persons visiting any premises of the municipality.
• From attending municipal premises with groups for the purpose of demanding that the municipality should heed to their unlawful actions, or threatening the municipality with closure of any of its business activities and services to the community.
• From unlawfully enticing, organising or mobilising community members, including members of unions active within the employment vicinity of the municipality to participate in the above-mentioned unlawful activities.
• The interdict further directs the municipality to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of employees not participating in unlawful labour action, in order to return to work for provision of services.
• To take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of members of the municipality and its residents visiting its offices and infrastructure.
• The interdict also directs the municipality to, in turn, direct the Municipal Manager to implement reasonable measures in order to achieve the relief sought by residents as mentioned above.
• Directs the municipality to pay the costs of the application on a scale between attorney and client.
