Striking workers at the Eastern Cape health department in King William’s Town have set alight a non-striker’s car, the department said.

Strikers started shouting at the woman, who works in the health MEC’s office in Bisho, as she drove home on Thursday, said spokesman Sizwe Kupelo.

“They called her a traitor and a sell-out and she heard someone say they knew where she lived,” he said.

The woman woke at midnight to banging on the windows of her home. She called the police and fire department when she saw that the health department vehicle she had been using was on fire.

“We condemn this violence. This is no longer a strike. This is crime against... those who choose to serve the nation,” said Kupelo.

He called on union leaders to put an end to strike-related violence and encouraged their members to “respect the rights of non-strikers”.

Police were not immediately available for comment.