Private security guards, cleaners hired after 11 days’ chaos
Private security guards to secure infrastructure and cleaners to mop up
After 11 days of paralysis, destruction and siege, Buffalo City Metro’s city leaders have finally hit the panic button and hired an army of private security guards and cleaners.
In a twin-pronged emergency operation this weekend, the private security guards will take up their posts at 50 strategic infrastructure points, while cleaners will start to clear away the piles of filth which have ballooned across the metro.
Samwu has been on an unprotected, and hence illegal strike since Tuesday. The union’s regional secretary Zolani Ndlela said the union had no comment about the metro’s intervention plans.
“We don’t want to comment on that but it would shock us if they will hire external services when we just agreed in the local labour forum that there would be no more outsourcing of services.”
Mayoral spokesperson Luzuko Buku told the Daily Dispatch on Friday that both plans would be mobilised this weekend.
“The metro has 50 strategic points and all will be secured effective from Saturday. These include the East London city hall, civic centres, the Munfin building, that is the metro’s finance building which is where people pay their rates. We will also secure the electricity substations,” said Buku.
He said the clean-up programme would be staffed by non-striking workers and external service providers. Asked how much the metro would spend on hiring external services to deal with the illegal strike crisis, Buku said: “These are emergency measures being put in place. There is a budget for emergency measures however we don’t have a figure yet as we don’t know how long this will last for. The costs will be determined by invoices.”
Despite all the destruction caused by vandals and hooligans linked to the strike, Buku said not a single criminal case had been opened against anyone.
“We request the communities to assist BCM and the South African Police Service and report any criminal activities they see to ensure that perpetrators of vandalism and violence are brought to book,” he added.
Ndlela said the union had not secured a certificate to go on strike and was waiting for the special council meeting to take place on Tuesday and pronounce on their demand of R100,000 per worker for compensation of the delayed job evaluation process.
Local government and traditional affairs MEC Fikile Xasa, said he would meet with the BCM political and administrative leadership on Monday in an effort to intervene and find a solution to the impasse.
While the metro cancelled the switching on of the lights in King William’s Town at the 11th-hour, BCM spokesperson Thandy Matebese said however the event would take place in East London on Saturday.