In an environment where outrage is often commonplace, there is a worrying lack of anger about the brutal murders of two security guards in the past month at dairy producer Clover.
The company is in the middle of a long-standing strike in which the Food and Allied Workers’ Union (Fawu) and the General Industrial Workers’ Union of South Africa (Giwusa) are taking on planned restructuring at Cover and fighting for retrenchments to be overturned, among other things.
But the strike has turned violent.
On January 22 Tsephe Molatsi was killed while guarding a Clover delivery van. He was reportedly shot in the head after being beaten. A murder case was opened with Midrand police.
Then, less than a month later, videos surfaced of an incident near Clover in Clayville on February 17. They paint a sickening picture of unhinged brutality.
A gang of at least 14 men chase a security guard in a parking lot. He is completely overwhelmed and running for his life. Unless there is something the videos don’t show, these men are not acting in self-defence. And even in the likely event they were in the preceding moments, any threats to their lives or safety had passed. This was an outright attack on a defenceless man.
The guard is surrounded, his weapon taken from him, and he is savagely set upon. He’s hit with his gun, with fists and rocks and stones. He falls to the ground unarmed and helpless. Yet the attack continues.
At the same time it is critical the unions involved in the protest action call their members to order. Scenes like this simply cannot be allowed to play out under, or even adjacent to, strike action, no matter the strength of workers’ grievances.
This assault, in full view of people inside a nearby building, continues for nearly a minute. The security guard is left for dead. But even with blood pouring from his lifeless body, one of the mob hurls a rock towards him as they flee — a final gruesome act that demonstrates the heartless nature of what happened.
Police say three other security guards were injured.
Two people were arrested for the murders and assaults and were expected to appear in court this week. Attempts to get an update from the SAPS were unsuccessful on Tuesday afternoon.
Clover has blamed striking union members — which it also accused of violating interdicts, a claim the unions have denied — as it called on police to fully investigate the murder and take action against those found to be involved. But there is little doubt the attack on the security guard and his colleagues is linked to the strike.
Urgent action needs to be taken against those responsible. It’s well and good that two have been arrested, but more than two dozen were involved, even caught on videos which are circulating widely on social media.
Police minister Bheki Cele said during the state of the nation address (Sona) debate that police intelligence wasn’t a complete shambles, despite adverse findings in the expert report on the July 2021 riots. This is his chance to prove it — and it really shouldn’t be hard. Every single one of those men must be identified and prosecuted.
At the same time, it is critical unions involved in the protest action call their members to order. Scenes like this simply cannot be allowed to play out under, or even adjacent to, strike action, no matter the strength of workers’ grievances.
Unions cannot hide behind denials that they weren’t involved. Much like the police, they need to work hard to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
And while police and unions put their shoulders to the wheel, so too should those trying to end the dispute that has led to the strike. There needs to be genuine effort to end the stalemate. If none of the parties show such willingness, tempers will fray.
Two deaths are two too many.
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