A group of people calling themselves military veterans trashed and looted the Germiston Civic Centre on Monday, the municipality said.
“We had a bunch of people masquerading as former MK (Umkhonto we Sizwe) members,” said Ekurhuleni mayoral spokesman Zweli Dlamini.
“Surprisingly, some of them were in their mid-20s. They were not even born during times of the struggle.”
The building accommodates the executive mayor, speaker, chief whip, staff and the other political parties.
About 100 people stormed into the building, looted and vandalised property.
Dlamini said they trashed furniture, computers and fridges and stole some items.
“We are still quantifying the damage. The thing is the building had just undergone refurbishment, so we are not sure exactly how much damage we are looking at,” he said.
The attackers assaulted some staff members.
“Some staff members had to be taken in for counselling, while others were taken home,” said Dlamini.
It was unclear what the group wanted.
“If we knew what they wanted, we could have spoken to them, but they just stormed into the building,” he said.
“They did not even give us their demands.”
Dlamini said about 60 people were arrested.
They were expected to appear in court soon on charges of theft, vandalism, trespassing and assault.
Dlamini said officials were still operating from the vandalised building and that service delivery would not be hampered. – Sapa
This delivery van was attacked yesterday by striking truck drivers near Isando station on the East Rand
Ekurhuleni emergency services were on high alert on Thursday after violent protests by striking truck drivers resulted in the people being injured and vehicles damaged.
“We, together with Ekurhuleni metro police department, are on high alert for any incidents of violence during the truck drivers strike,” said spokesman William Ntladi.
He said a truck was stoned by protesters in Kempton Park on Wednesday, but no injuries were reported.
In Germiston, on the M2 and Refinery road, protesters stopped a truck with three occupants.
“The two assistants in the truck driver were hospitalised after being assaulted by the protesters, but the driver managed to escape and opened a case…[with the] police,” Ntladi said.
The truck was set alight.
About 20,000 workers in the freight transport sector are on strike over wages. Their unions have reverted to a 12 percent pay demand after rejecting a lower offer tabled by employers on Tuesday.
The Road Freight Employers’ Association (RFEA) had proposed a staggered increase of 8.5 percent effective from March, and a further 0.5 percent from September next year.
Workers embarked on a protected strike on Monday after wage negotiations deadlocked.
The four unions involved are the SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu), the Professional Transport and Allied Workers’ Union SA (PTAWUSA), the Transport and Allied Workers’ Union of SA (TAWU) and the Motor Transport Workers’ Union (MTWU).
Striking truck drivers also set alight vehicles and intimidated a driver in Cape Town and Durban, police said.
A driver and his two assistants were hospitalised after being injured while trying to escape angry protesters.
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The driver collided with a car, then hit a tree.
He sustained serious head wounds. His two assistants were lightly injured.
In Cape Town, striking truck drivers set alight two trucks in Nyanga.
Investment Solutions economist Chris Hart told the New Age newspaper on Thursday that South Africa might slip into a second recession if the transport strike was protracted. – Sapa
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An Ekhurhuleni metro policeman and three robbers died in a shoot-out in Wadeville on Thursday, police said.
