PRETORIA – The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU Limpopo) has learned with shock the brutal shooting of Samwu members who were protesting peacefully in the Mookgphong area when police just out of the blue started shooting at them unprovoked.
Police shot around six people who were taken to different surgeries in the area with mild injuries whilst one was shot 5 times in the upper body and face losing his eyesight in the process because he was shot at point blank close range.
Of particular concern was how Mr. Jerry Kgabo was shot in the face at close range as well as upper body and in the back confirming that he was harmless in the presence of the station commissioner Mr koekemoer who did absolutely nothing to stop his men from shooting at the employees who were demanding their salaries due last week Friday.
Samwu will not take this matter lying down and will demand through Cosatu and other fraternal structures that IPID investigate this matter without fear of favour since we cannot tolerate apartheid-era policing tactics against our people in this democratic dispensation and the police officer who shot Mr. Jerry Kgabo in the face at point-blank range will have to pay for this hideous crime.
The non-payment of salaries to the employees of the municipality who until today have not received their salaries particularly those working in the Mookgophong satellite offices albeit the Mayor as well as Mr. Henry Lubbe confirming to the media that employees have been paid is very disgusting.
It is very disgusting that the municipality chose to pay workers of Modimolle and left out employees working in Mookgophong satellite re-inforcing the notion that the merged municipalities are still separate entities whilst pleading poverty.
We demand the municipality to pay the workers without further delay and stop discriminating and or setting employees and communities of Mookgophong against those in Modimolle.
