Union willing to accompany mayor to police station

The Samwu leadership says they will accompany the Tshwane mayor to a police station to lay criminal charges.

This after a senior South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) leader was dismissed after being implicated in the torching of a waste truck several weeks ago.

“We are prepared to accompany the mayor to the police station. He should just inform us when and where. We will be available to accompany him and his team,” said Samwu general secretary Dumisane Magagula.

“This is nothing but yet another attempt by the mayor to tarnish the union’s image and gain public sympathy at the expense of workers and their safety, while also pitting our members against community members.

“We reiterate that Samwu is a non-violent organisation,” Magagula said.

Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink said they had evidence linking a senior Samwu leader in Tshwane to the torching of a waste truck.

“The trade union has, of course, denied any involvement in acts of criminality,” Brink said.

“Tshwane obtained evidence that a senior member of the regional executive of Samwu had participated in the firebombing of a waste removal truck belonging to a contractor of the metro.

“Video evidence shows a group of people being dropped off on the street. They then proceed to attack the waste truck and set it alight. They are collected by the same vehicle that dropped them off and leave the scene of the crime.”

Brink alleged that the vehicle identified by its make, model and registration number, belonged to the Samwu official.

“Of course, this evidence had to be checked and the Samwu official’s version of events was obtained.”

Brink said City manager Johann Mettler informed him that investigators had established that the official’s alibi about the possession of his vehicle on the day of the attack could not be verified.

He said upon the preliminary investigation, Metller further issued the leader with a letter of dismissal.

“This now leaves the issue of a criminal investigation.”

[WATCH] Evidence links senior SAMWU leader in Tshwane to torching of waste truck. @CityTshwane pic.twitter.com/2RS28mvw3k

— Mayor Cilliers Brink (@tshwane_mayor) October 12, 2023

Brink said the evidence in the matter was handed over to the SAPS shortly after the incident and on their advice, Tshwane would not release any of the evidence to the public.

The mayor said every time a waste removal truck was stoned or torched, human lives were put at risk.

“The reason why Tshwane is still behind on household waste collection, why many of our streets are trashed and why it takes longer than usual to attend to electricity and water outages is because of this campaign of terror.

Brink called on Samwu leadership to reflect on this incident and “to stop talking with a forked tongue”. He urged them to take every other step necessary to ensure that their members allow fellow Tshwane officials and contractors to do their work without fearing for their lives.

“We also once again call on national law enforcement not to treat the criminal assault on Tshwane and our employees as a labour dispute or as an internal security matter, but as crimes against the state.”

Brink said services in every municipality and province, including services to the poorest of the poor were being threatened by a ballooning public sector wage bill.

“Tshwane will continue to work with law enforcement to protect our employees, residents and the infrastructure that serves both. We will do everything to protect jobs and lead the capital city to financial recovery.”

The investigation is still ongoing and no arrests have been made.

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