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Clover strike: Company claims security guard killed by protesting workers
General Industries Workers Union of South Africa and Food and Allied Workers Union employees have been on strike since November.
Workers stage a protest outside the headquarters of the Ministry of Trade and Industry against Israel’s Milco, which took over South African dairy company Clover, in Pretoria, on 13 January 2022. They want the company to reinstate those who’ve been dismissed, to halt retrenchments and to divest from Milco. Photo: Ihsaan Haffejee/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images/Gallo Images
Clover Industries said it is “shocked and appalled” after a Fidelity security guard died while protecting a Clover delivery vehicle from striking workers in Olifantsfontein on Saturday.
Clover said the guard, Tsephe Molatsi, was in an escort vehicle assigned to protect a Clover delivery vehicle from attack by striking workers.
The dairy producer said a white bus loaded with striking workers intercepted the Clover delivery truck. The company claims the workers then attacked the truck and the escort vehicle.
While some of the striking workers threw bottles and rocks at the truck and security officers, others started looting the truck.
The security officers responded by firing rubber bullets.
It was during this chaos when Molatsi was reportedly shot in the head and repeatedly beaten.
The striking workers then fled with Molatsi’s shotgun when metro police officers arrived at the scene.
“We are extremely upset about this awful incident. Our hearts go out to Mr Molatsi’s family and loved ones,” said Steven Velthuysen, the spokesperson for Clover.
“This is not industrial action; this is murder. We already have one interdict granted against the unions to prevent violence, which they have ignored.
“We have now applied for another one against the unions and certain union officials, which will be heard on Monday,” he said.
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In November, the Labour Court granted an interdict restraining striking employees from:
- Participating in violent and unlawful conduct;
- Harassing or intimidating any Clover employee, contractor or service provider; and
- Disrupting the business operations of any Clover customer or client.
On Friday, Clover approached the Labour Court again. This time, the company was seeking an urgent interdict to end the countrywide strike.
Employees belonging to the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (Giwusa) and the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) have been on strike since November.
They are demanding that Clover ceases plans of further retrenchments and reverse previous retrenchments. They also want an end to the docking of salaries.
The unions also want the company to be independent of the Israeli-owned Central Bottling Company that owns Clover through Milco SA.
Compiled by Gareth Cotterell
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