What striking employees maintain to be an innocent labour dispute between the working class and kingmakers has turned into a full-scale attack on residents, whose instigators are hell-bent on disadvantaging and intimidating.

The attack occurred on Saturday afternoon when nearly 50 civilians partook in the clean-up initiative led by Mica.

The teams, which included at least two children, managed to clean the streets from Mica to Bhimy Damane Street before the group of instigators, believed to be striking workers, descended upon them.

The incident took place two hours into the clean-up, on the corner of Bhimy Damane- and Walter Sisulu Street, when a vehicle containing four occupants slowly drove past the cleaners before hurling a glass bottle at one of the groups.

The group was then descended upon by at least a mob of 20, some of whom were wearing green overalls with the Steve Tshwete Municipality markings on.

Some of the attackers grabbed a shovel and broom from one of the cleaners, before turning to one of the trucks transporting the collected waste.
They dragged the bags of rubbish off the vehicle, tore them open and threw the garbage into the middle of the street.

The volunteers then tried to flee the scene, but one of the trucks carrying rubbish was too slow and attackers targeted the 60-year-old driver by forcefully pulling him out of the cab and spraying pepper spray in his face, as well as smashing the vehicle’s windows and slashing the tyres.

The owner of Mica, Mr Hugo de Witt, told www.mobserver.co.za that he was going to take the matter further, assuring that criminal charges will be laid with the police, including assault and malicious damage to property.

Likewise, several residents strongly condemned the attack with the following comments made on the Middelburg Observer’s Facebook Platform:

Wynand Pretorius: I’m with the owner, time the scum see the inside of a court, then jail cell. Attacking the community is the last straw we have to take…

Terry Keeley: It should have never come to this, the Middelburg Police and municipality have failed the Middelburg community dismally. How much more must the residents take before action is taken into their own hands?

Linda Kruger: Waar is ons kamstige weermag en polisie?

Ankia van der Merwe: The community got together to clean up the town. They walked through the streets and cleaned up all the garbage, and then +- 20 municipal workers came and intimidated them, took their personal tools, damaged private property and stopped them from cleaning any further. This is upsetting and totally unacceptable. This was done in private capacity and nothing political about it. The Mica owner whose truck got damaged is pressing charges against the harmful actions of the employees. His employee was also assaulted and sprayed with pepper spray. This now angered the community members even more.

Dijané Coetzer: Persoonlik dink ek dat Mica die dorp wou help en baie mense het dankie gesê en hulle aangemoedig, ek dink dit sal nice wees as die dorp kan saam staan en Mica help om hulle trok nou reg te maak. Hulle het aksie geneem vir die dorp. Kom ons kyk of die dorp dieselfde sal doen.. Dis mos makliker om net terug te staan en te sê “Hi, ek is nou so jammer om te hoor van die moeilikheid.”

Chantal Crouch Britz: What else can we expect out of these idiots… Useless lot. I have a few choice words I could call them. They should be fired, not paid! It’s people like them that are bringing this country down while others are trying to build it up….makes me sick.

Jenny Neeltje Naudé: Ek hoop die eienaar het ’n saak gaan maak by die polisie. Dit is tyd dat hierdie kriminele moet pa staan vir wat hulle aan ons gemeenskap doen.

Herman Kern: Dit was ’n blatante brutale aanval op lede van die publiek deur die “dapper” munisipale werkers, in Steve Tshwete oorpakke nogal. Dus gaan ek die vullis gedeelte van my rekening aftrek as ek betaal.

Peet Bos: Why are these people (terrorists) not arrested? These are not peaceful strikers and definitely not brave individuals. These are criminals that need to be thrown into jail.