Second person shot during municipal protest in Middelburg dies in hospital

A second person who was shot during the protest on Wednesday at the Steve Tshwete local municipality's head office in Middelburg has succumbed to injuries in hospital.  

This was confirmed by the municipality’s spokesperson, Prudence Magutle.

The first worker was killed on Wednesday when security guards, allegedly employed by the council, shot at the employees who were forcing their way inside the municipal buildings.

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brig Selvy Mohlala could not confirm the second death. He said he was only aware of the first death. “We haven’t received that information,” he said.

Magutle said on Thursday that some employees had gone back to work while others had stayed away. 

Four workers were shot on Wednesday afternoon during clashes with the security guards.

This comes after the municipality was intending to suspend about 100 employees who have been on strike since last Monday after demanding a salary increase.

Magutle said workers were also demanding that their employment scale be upgraded to level five, which will improve their salary scale and benefits.

One of the workers' leaders, Phetha Sibanyoni, said the council had allegedly hired illegal security guards posing as “hitmen”. She said employees were protesting for salary increases and against the hiring of these guards and ill-treatment by the mayor and the acting municipal manager.

“They are [allegedly] bypassing processes when dealing with labour matters. They take correspondences straight to council sitting without any other structures involved,” she said.

Sibanyoni said workers were angry at municipal incompetence and alleged fraud.

“There is a lot that they are doing. They brought these hitmen [security guards] without supply-chain procurement, without police assessment and without any council resolutions,” she said.

Sibanyoni alleged that the municipality had its own security company but the alleged “hitmen” were recruited over and above this firm.

“How can we go back to work? We lost two lives. How can we go to work with people walking around the building carrying guns?”

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