Workers demand manager’s resignation

A SPECIAL council meeting at the Camdeboo municipality in GraaffReinet was disrupted by striking municipal workers, who stormed into the council chambers and demanded the municipal manager’s resignation.

The municipality was discussing an agreement with civic organisation Free Market Foundation, which would see 500 residents receiving land ownership.

Municipal manager Noel Pietersen alleged that municipal workers had held him hostage on Tuesday because they did not agree with the suspension of a senior manager in the municipality and wanted him to appoint an acting manager of their choice.

“The disruption in council today [yesterday] stems from that. I refused to appoint an acting manager of their preference because I will not be told by workers who to appoint,” he said.

Yesterday, South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) members stormed into the chambers demanding that Pietersen resign.

“I told the council I had no intention of resigning. We tried to resolve the matter and the workers left,” he said.

The workers were from the community services department, Pietersen said.

DA councillor Theuns Eksteen said: “They just walked into the chambers while the meeting was in progress. They were very noisy.”

Attempts to reach a Samwu shop steward were unsuccessful.