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McBride shot at workers - union
20/11/2006 19:02 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Embattled Ekurhuleni metro police chief Robert McBride shot at protesting municipal employees who were calling for him to be suspended, claimed the SA Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) on Monday.
"He was the first one to shoot at workers," said Samwu's East Rand branch secretary Koena Ramatlou 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 Primrose police station.
The metro employees were protesting about various grievances, including calls for McBride to be suspended and charged.
A Samwu memorandum to the mayor claimed McBride had abused his power.
Also complained about racism
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completed a peace-officer course as required, he lived in council property, harassed employees and had unprocedurally withdrawn some officers' weapons and appointment cards.
The memo stated that staff already had asked the city manager to provide them with a report of the allegations submitted to him about the chief of police.
After three months they still had not had a reply.
Other complaints included salary scales, racism in the metro, and demands for job descriptions and consultation about 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.
Illegal march
Ekurhuleni Metro mayoral spokesperson Prince Hamnca said the metro had been scheduled to meet Samwu last Friday to discuss the planned march, but the union walked out of the meeting.
"Today's 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 in a memorandum on this on Friday as planned.
Ramatlou said the union was due to meet the metro on Tuesday to discuss a way forward.
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