Embattled Ekurhuleni metro police chief Robert McBride shot at protesting municipal employees who were calling for him to be suspended, the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) alleged on Monday.
”He was the first one to shoot at workers,” said Samwu’s East Rand branch secretary Koena Ramatlou of McBride after the protests.
Ramatlou said 10 protesting workers were injured when metro police opened fire on them with rubber bullets. Five were injured at municipal offices in Benoni and five in Springs.
Nobody was injured by McBride, who was at the protest at the Alberton municipal offices.
Ramatlou said two employees, including a Samwu shop steward, had been arrested and were being held at the Primrose police station.
The metro employees were protesting over various grievances, including calls for McBride to be suspended and charged.
A Samwu memorandum to the mayor said McBride abused his power.
The memo claimed McBride had failed to prove he had completed a peace officer course as required, he lived in council property, harassed employees and had, without procedure, withdrawn some officers’ weapons and appointment cards.
”We have already requested the city manager to provide us with a report of the allegations submitted to him about the chief of police. To date nothing came forth and it’s over three months now,” said the memo.
Other complaints include salary scales, racism in the metro and demands for job descriptions and for consultation over the institutional review.
Chief Superintendent Wilfred Kgasago of the Ekurhuleni metro police confirmed that the metro police were called in.
”The march was illegal. As law-enforcement officers we had to intervene.”
He had no information on any shootings.
McBride could not be reached for comment.
Ekurhuleni metro mayoral spokesperson Prince Hamnca said the metro had been scheduled to meet with Samwu last Friday to discuss the planned march but the union walked out of the meeting.
”Today’s [Monday] march is an illegal march because we have not granted permission,” said Hamnca.
He said he did not know what the employees’ grievances were as they had not handed over a memorandum on this on Friday as planned.
Ramatlou said the union was due to meet with the metro on Tuesday to discuss a way forward. — Sapa