Maroela Media reports that following the devastating strikes of recent months, joint discussions between employees of the Steve Tshwete district municipality at Middelburg and the municipality’s management commenced on Monday.

DA councillor Hennie Niemann advised that the mayor and speaker were currently involved in talks with the workers’ trade union. The hope is to eventually bring the ongoing strikes to an end so that normal service delivery can resume. The talks follow a recent incident in which four protestors, including some municipal workers, were shot by private security guards after they tried to force their way into the municipal offices. One of the protests was shot dead, while the others are in hospital. Some of the municipality’s employees have been striking since September over various grievances. Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, last week sent a team to the municipality to work with the parties concerned to find solutions to the crisis. The situation in Middleburg on Monday was calm. It is not clear how long that talks between the parties concerned will last (loosely translated from Afrikaans)

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard in Afrikaans at Maroela Media

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