Tshwane protest damage estimated at R10m

The city obtained a court interdict against striking workers affiliated to the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) following last week’s violence at its Tshwane House headquarters.

The order prohibits workers from blocking or interfering with traffic in the Pretoria CBD or damaging any of the city’s property.

Nawa says a group of protestors also stormed Rosslyn Clinic, which left the clinic without power and water and unable to render services.

"Some of the customers of the city have been without power for days and the workers who wanted to go out and provide services get intimidated, prevented from doing so by the striking workers.

Some of the workers have gone to the extent of destroying their own infrastructure on  which they rely for the provision of services,” says Nawa.

"Buses are locked and that is an inconvenience to the residents of Tshwane.”

He warns that anyone who interrupts services will be prosecuted.

"We have given out instruction that anybody who intimidate people who are going back to work will have to deal with the police. Our intentions is to ensure that today all the services are open, buses are on the roads and the refuse will also be collected.”

He estimates that it will cost the city more than R10 million to fix the damage.

"We would be running to something close to R10 million and above given the water we have lost and other property damaged due to vandalism and other interruption of essential services  such as power failure, sewers, water meters, pipe leakages as well as a waste collection which are already compromised in most areas throughout the city.”