Around 250 workers from the Stellenbosch Municipality illegally protested in the Stellenbosch CBD, on 27 July.
The protestors littered and set garbage bins on fire mainly on Plein Street.
However, according to SAPS, the protest was peaceful. “There was no need for SAPS to make any arrest,” said captain Nathalie Martin, communications officer at Stellenbosch Police Station.
The protestors were unhappy about not receiving the 6.25% salary increase proposed by the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) at the end of a three-year collective agreement, according to Sebenzile Kiva, provincial chairperson of the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU).
When Plein Street-restaurant owner Frits Visser extinguished a fire set in a garbage bin outside his restaurant, a group of protestors threatened to kill him, Visser alleged. PHOTO: Supplied/Frits Visser
“The municipality failed to give the workers their increase – they only gave the municipal manager and the directors… not us on the lower bench,” Kiva alleged.
According to Grobbelaar, the municipal manager received no increase last year.
However, “section 56 [of the Systems Acts] managers (directors) received a 2.8% increase last year,” Grobbelaar confirmed.
The decision to withhold the 6.25% increase follows the National Treasury recommendation that municipalities should not implement salary increases for municipal officials, said Stuart Grobbelaar, Stellenbosch Municipality’s spokesperson.
The protest started at 9:30 and continued until around 14:00, said Captain Nathalie Martins, communications officer at Stellenbosch Police Station. VIDEO: Supplied/Abonga Mneno
“We will continue with open and fair discussions with the aggrieved officials and union whilst we await the decision from a national level,” Grobbelaar said.
The recommendation from the National Treasury was guided by the national negotiations between SALGA and the Local Government Bargaining Council, as well as the economic hardships facing the country due to the national lockdown, said Grobbelaar.
Area cleaning crews are cleaning the streets where a group of workers participated in an illegal strike today. The strike was due to salary increases. National Treasury recommended that NO MUNICIPALITY should implement salary increases, pending the outcome of SALGA negotiations. pic.twitter.com/vpdZWCN7hb
— Stellenbosch Municipality (@StellMun) July 27, 2020
Stellenbosch Municipality condemned the strike action by its workers on Twitter. TWITTER POST: @StellMun
The protestors also called for the municipality’s director of corporate services, Annalene de Beer, to step down, said Kiva, who took part in the protest on Plein Street.
“In order for Stellenbosch to progress, we want Annalene [de Beer] to move out of Stellenbosch,” Kiva told MatieMedia.
Kiva alleged that De Beer is undermining the work done by the previous municipal administration.
“Neither the executive mayor, municipal manager, directors (such as Ms Annalene de Beer), nor council has the authority or legal mandate to determine salaries,” said Grobbelaar.
According to Grobbelaar, salary increases of councillors, municipal managers and directors are determined at a national level and are applicable to all municipalities across South Africa.
*Update: This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Nathalie Martin.