City of Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink says a senior SAMWU regional executive member has been dismissed for alleged involvement in the torching of waste removal truck belonging to a contractor.
Brink says video footage shows a group that firebombed the truck being dropped off and collected by a vehicle belonging to the SAMWU leader on August 28.
Eight vehicles have been set alight since the beginning of the unprotected wage strike in July. Brink, however, says it is disappointing that the dismissed employee has not yet been arrested despite evidence being handed over to the police.
“The evidence in this matter was handed over to the South African Police Service shortly after the incident. On their advice, the city did not release any of the evidence to the public. The investigation is still ongoing, but regrettably, no arrests have been made yet. In the meantime, several attacks have been launched on City of Tshwane personnel, vehicles, and infrastructure in furtherance of SAMWU’s unprotected strike. The trade union has, of course, denied any involvement in acts of criminality. At times they have also denied that there is a strike or that their leaders are involved in the strike.”
