Tshwane mayor 'horrified' by shooting of city worker
Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink says the shooting of a city employee over the weekend needs to serve as a turning point for the Samwu strike.
The man was attacked shortly after completing his shift in Montana on Saturday evening in what the city has described as a hijacking incident.
The city has been operating with a skeleton staff since workers affiliated with the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) downed tools in July.
The municipal workers are unhappy over various issues, including the non-payment of salary increases.
Workers are demanding 3.5% and 5.4% salary increases, an amount that Brink said the city cannot afford.
Brink says the incident is another intimidation tactic used by the striking workers against their non-striking colleagues.
"I am horrified by the attack and equally thankful that the official survived the attack. The attack must be a turning point in the unprotected Samwu strike that has involved the disruption of services, the sabotage of infrastructure and the intimidation of fellow employees.
"The circumstances clearly point to a link to the unprotected strike action, and it accords with some of the other tactics that have been used."
Last week two waste removal trucks operated by city contractors were attacked in different parts of the city.
The mayor is expected to visit the employee in the hospital on Monday.
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