The City of Tshwane regrets to inform its Tshwane Bus Service (TBS) commuters that the disruptions to the bus operations, which started 07 November 2024, are continuing.
This after an illegal protest by a group of dismissed bus drivers believed to be members of the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU).
On the 7 November they closed the gates of the city’s C De Wet Bus Depot and forcefully evicted management from the premises.
They also allegedly threatened their co-workers who are willing to honour their shifts.
on the 8 November in a morning a few of the dismissed drivers sauntered into the C De Wet Depot and harassed officials, confiscated the register and shredded it.
The protesting group is disputing the disciplinary committee’s dismissal verdict after they appeared before the city’s committee last month, October 2024.
The 33 bus drivers were dismissed for participating in an unprotected strike in May this year.
The disruptions have now spilled to the city’s Pretoria North and East Lynne Depots in defiance of yesterday’s criminal case laid against them for intimidating their co-workers.
The city is currently opening another case of intimidation, with the additional count of trespassing against the protesters.
The city has now approached the Johannesburg Labour Court to seek an urgent interdict to declare the strike unlawful and to restrain the dismissed drivers from getting closer or entering any of the city’s bus depots.
This after the city has failed in its attempts to dissuade the protesters from continuing with the unlawful protest action.
The matter is expected to be heard this evening or tomorrow.
The city apologises profusely to the bus commuters who have been adversely affected by the disruption and advises them to make alternative travel arrangements.
Further developments will be communicated in due course.
Meanwhile SAMWU Tshwane Regional Chairperson Ngwako Mathabathe has told Tshwane Talks that SAMWU bus drivers are not on strike; that bus services have been disrupted due to the non-availability of drivers because 33 drivers were dismissed from work on Thursday this past week.