Traffic officers bring City Hall to standstill

Pietermaritzburg City Hall came to a standstill on Tuesday morning as scores of Msunduzi traffic and security officers locked the entrance door and staged a picket.

The workers, dressed in their uniforms, demanded that municipal management respond to their grievances. They also handed over their petition to the municipal manager Madoda Khathide.

On August 18, the workers met with municipal manager to hand over a list of grievances. They say they have not yet gotten feedback from this.

They are complaining about lack of tools of trade such as radios and uniforms, vacancies, and general unfair labour practices in the public safety department. They also said a shooting range is needed.

A source at the scene said corruption is rife at the municipality.

“There are posts that don’t get advertised; you just see a person employed. If we challenge this corruption which is well organized, we get told that we are factionalists. We don’t have radios which is one of the most essential tools. We have three incidents where traffic officers were assaulted by members of the public while without guns and radios. Last week, they were confronted by someone with a knob kerrie in town,” he said, adding that they have not been issued work uniform for the past five years; they buy straight from their own pockets.

Municipal manager Madoda Khathide said workers must voice their grievances. “If you work overtime, you must be paid, and if it doesn’t happen, lodge a grievance. We bought a place and used it as a shooting range. It was later discovered that it is not in a condition of being a shooting range. I got a message that the workers were measured for uniforms but the uniforms came in bad conditions and the colours were wrong. In addition, those who do not store their firearms in a safe at their homes be charged for breaking the law,” he said.