The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) has rejected what it termed the City of Johannesburg’s ‘half response” to their list of demands on the fourth day of the Metro police strike.
Dumisani Langa, the union’s secretary general in Johannesburg, said on Thursday that ‘the matter had not been settled”.
He said the city’s proposal did not address calls to have Chris Ngcobo replaced as chief of the Johannesburg Metro Police department (JMPD).
The Mail & Guardian Online learned on Thursday morning that Samwu was locked in a meeting with the ANC’s provincial leadership in Johannesburg to seek a political solution to the Ngcobo question.
Johannesburg municipality spokesperson Nthatise Modingoane accused Samwu of ‘shifting the goalposts” and ‘having a hidden agenda”.
Modingoane added that the ‘city has conceded to their [Samwu’s] core demands and the ball was in the union’s court to help normalise the situation”.
Samwu affiliated members of the JMPD went on strike on Monday, alleging corruption in their department.
In addition to the suspension of Ngcobo, the union also demanded the suspension of Abel Nkosi, the deputy director of internal affairs, as well as “Koti” Essau, the manager of licensing at the Florida testing station. Samwu alleges they are guilty of graft.
Meanwhile, all licensing and testing stations have ‘been ordered to remain closed” says Edna Mamonyane, JMPD spokesperson.