BizNews writes that the City of Tshwane has been gripped by violence amid ongoing strike action by some municipal workers over a 0% salary increase.

According to Community Safety MMC Grandi Theunissen of the Freedom Front Plus (FF+), there have been cases of attempted murder, torching of vehicles, arson, stone-throwing, tyre-slashing, and intimidation. In an interview with Chris Steyn, he says it has gone “beyond” a normal labour protest and turned into “a violent, orchestrated criminal onslaught against the City and the people of the City as well as co-workers”. Theunissen charges that the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have played a “disruptive” role – and are even “participating in criminal activities”. On how close Tshwane is to collapse, he says “if we are allowed to work on our recovery plan and our funding plan, then I see that we can survive. If we are going to be forced into something that we do not want to do, there is a chance that this is going to happen.” On a positive note, seven new senior managers have been appointed, two of whom have already started work.

• View Chris Steyn’s full video interview with Grandi Theunissen at BizNews

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