SAMWU Strongly Condemns uMhlathuze Municipality’s Misleading Statements and Calls for Good Faith Negotiations

July 3, 2025 adminPress

03 July 2025

The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) in the Shonamalanga Region to express its profound concern that the pleas and cries of our members in the municipality continues fall on deaf ears. SAMWU has made numerous attempts to resolve the ongoing and critical issues impacting our members.

As a Union, we have submitted a series of letters through our various structures, consistently urging the Employer to return to the bargaining table to find an amicable resolution. We wish to place it on record that the Employer has continuously demonstrated a blatant disregard not only for its employees, who form the backbone of service delivery, but also for the residents and ratepayers of uMhlathuze, who are directly affected by the current disruptions.

The deliberate act of halting and suspending negotiations on 22 June 2025, and subsequently cancelling the SAMWU General Meeting which was scheduled for 23 June 2025, is a clear indication that we are dealing with an egocentric and unprofessional employer. Such actions demonstrate an employer who is not interested in the return of normalcy in the municipality, and more importantly, the resolution of grievances raised by workers.

We find ourselves in this unfortunate position today as a Union solely because of the Employer’s arrogance and hollow rhetoric; they have dismally failed to address even the simplest of issues plaguing the workforce. As a Union, we are not interested in the political affairs of the employer, but the legitimate struggle for workers’ rights must not be manipulated to settle cheap political scores, nor should our Union be scapegoated for the Employer’s failure to deliver basic services to our people.

It is a blatant lie and a fallacy that our members are intimidating workers who are currently discharging their duties. The majority of the employees of the City of uMhlathuze are SAMWU Members, and we account for a 67% membership. We are aware of the Employer instigating instances of “black on black violence” against its employees, but we refute with the strongest contempt the alleged “member to member violence” purported by the Employer.

We unequivocally challenge the Employer to bring forward evidence and case numbers of such perpetrators, as these allegations are clearly designed to tarnish our good name. Our strike remains peaceful and protected, and it is only a competent and impartial court that can label it otherwise.

An urgent application was made last week by the employer through its attorneys to interdict our peaceful strike. They have labelled us with all manner of vile and baseless accusations. Despite these provocations, we have continued to maintain our composure. The matter was set down on 26 June 2025, wherein they were praying for an interim order to interdict our strike so as to victimise all its participants. However, they were fed a humble pie, and justice stood with the workers. To date, the Judgement remains reserved. T

his unequivocally means there was nothing urgent about their application, except for the harsh infringements of the workers’ constitutional right to partake in a peaceful and protected strike in accordance with Section 64(1)(d) of Act 66 of 1995, the Labour Relations Act.

It is therefore deeply disturbing that the employer is now misusing the Court’s reserved Judgement as a pretext for not wanting to resume negotiations. We reiterate our commitment to a peaceful and constructive engagement and call upon the Employer to act in good faith by returning to the negotiation table without further delay.

If City of Mhlathuze Management cares for the residents it serves, service delivery and the interest of workers, the municipal management will return to the negotiations table. The doors of negotiations for the Union remain open!

Issued by SAMWU Shonamalanga Region

Zandile Gumede
Regional Secretary
081 284 2591

Zethu Fakude
Deputy Regional Secretary
072 252 8910