Mbombela - The Mbombela local municipality in Mpumalanga has obtained a temporary court order to prevent striking South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) workers from trashing streets, intimidating municipal workers or damaging municipal property.
"We decided to get a court interdict because since the strike started, we (incurred) lots of damage, including power cuts, trash bins being thrown everywhere in the Mbombela CBD and non-striking employees of the municipality being assaulted," said municipal spokesman Joseph Ngala.
Acting municipal manager Norah Mthembu said in a statement that the temporary interdict was already in effect and would become permanent if Samwu did not successfully dispute it in the Labour Court before September 21.
"Copies of this interdict are displayed at all service centres of the municipality and the local police stations have been furnished with copies of such," said Mthembu.
She said striking workers now risk arrest if they enter council premises, including electrical sub-stations and water works, unlawfully damage or steal municipal property, or hijack municipal vehicles.
Two Samwu members have already been arrested following the court interdict.
They were not asked to plead to charges of public violence, assault and contempt of court when they appeared in the Nelspruit magistrate's court on Tuesday.
Nelspruit police spokesman Warrant Officer Dawie Pretorius said the suspects were released on warning.
Ngala said the strike had affected most of the front-line services in the municipality, including the payments of rates, purchase of electricity and other general enquiries.
Residents are urged to use Easy-Pay outlets and make direct deposits for municipal account payments. Pre-paid electricity can be purchased at the Caltex garages in Mbombela and White River.
