You burn it, you broke it, you pay to fix it: MECs tell municipal workers

Disgruntled municipal workers who allegedly torched Mngeni municipal offices and tried to break into the mayor's home should fit the bill for repairs.

KwaZulu-Natal Transport, Community Safety and Liaison MEC Willies Mchunu and Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube yesterday said the workers, who were found to have been involved in the fire at the arts and culture offices and dumping refuse at the home of mayor Mbali Mnyeni should be held liable for the cost of the repairs.

“It sets back the programme of delivery as the municipality now has to divert money for service delivery to fix the damage that should not have happened in the first place” said Mchunu

Nomusa Dube-Ncube was outraged by the incident which she suspected included an attempt to intimidate the Mayor and her family.

“As government we recognise the constitutional right to unhappiness within the legal prescripts by any member of society, but we deplore violence, intimidation and destruction of property built at the tax payers’ expense.”

"We call on the law enforcement agencies to take whatever action is necessary to bring those responsible for this dastardly dead to book. It is abundantly clear that criminal elements have hijacked the situation because SAMWU would have exhausted all the legal options to express their grievances including approaching the Office of the MEC” Said Dube-Ncube