Municipal workers demand answers

It’s been nine days since municipal workers submitted a memorandum of complaints to the office of the MEC of COGTA (Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs) after specifically demanding a response by Monday, 4 April.

This morning, 6 April, they (municipal workers) showed their anger by burning tyres and interrupting municipal services. After waiting in line for almost two hours, Musa Ledwaba was disappointed when he was forcefully removed from the licencing department by angry workers. “We were all confused at first because we thought the building was on fire because we heard someone scream ‘support’,” he explained.

“Out of fear, we exited the building and only once we got outside, we realised that municipal workers are on strike,” he added.
According to Captain Botma, the strike was unauthorized however the police were on site to monitor the situation. From the licencing department, the municipal workers marched to the Infrastructure Offices and demanded the gates to be closed They gathered more officials and headed to the Dan Tloome offices where they demanded the MEC of COGTA give them a response.

Tshepo Mosonogi who has been working at the municipality as an EPWP (Expanded Public Works Programme) member for seven months says they have had enough. “It’s been nine days and they refuse to acknowledge us, we have had enough of little pay,” he lamented.

Tshepo Mosonogi added that since working for the municipality seven months ago, they have only received a single full payment. “We are tired of excuses. Every month it’s a different story. Our contracts are ending in June and we don’t even know where we stand with the municipality,” he said.
On Thursday, 24 March, several J.B. Marks municipal workers, Samwu (The South African Municipal Workers Union) and Imatu (The Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union) gathered at Memorial Park in Ikageng and marched to the Dan Tloome office, submitted a memorandum of complaints and demanded they receive a response within seven days.

The memorandum was related to political interference and the lack of tools of the trade for employees, among other pressing issues. Since the strike that occurred this morning, 6 April, the municipality released a statement informing members of the community that the DLTC office is temporarily closed until further notice.