EWN reports that some workers at the West Rand District Municipality are on strike over the payment of employee benefits, including housing allowances and medical aid.  

Employees last week held councillors hostage demanding salaries that had not been paid for the past three months.  The strike comes after it emerged that the cash-strapped municipality invested R77 million in the collapsed VBS Mutual Bank.  The SA Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) said it would halt service delivery until their demands were met.  Spokesperson Siseko Siyothula said:  “They are going to drop all the cars like the firefighter trucks and ambulances so that the premier can see what to do to service the communities.  If you stay here it means you will be affected by the strike.”

• This short report by Sifiso Zulu is at EWN

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