Rustenburg Municipality employees locked out 

Rustenburg Local Municipality employees except those responsible for essential services are not working today. This comes after a surprise altercation at the municipal gates this morning. Peaceful demonstrating Service Providers to the municipality took charge of the Municipal building – demanding immediate payment. The Service Providers locked all municipal points of entry and demanded to be paid. Surprised employees were left stranded outside Mpheni house while early birds were forced to storm out of the building. Law enforcement agencies watched with dismay as Service Providers peacefully stood in front of the gates. One of the Service Providers, Thabo Sedumedi told Naledi News that they were given a contract to install waterpipes in the Rustenburg cbd and they did that without any problems. “Now they don’t want to pay us. For the whole nine months we have been trying to get payment from the municipality and we are sent from pillar to post. We submitted every document required but we are told the Municipal Manager is not willing to pay us. This municipality will not function until we are paid in full,” said Sedumedi. Municipal workers were told to go home and come back to work on Tuesday. Muncipal Spokesperson, Thapelo Matebesi acknowledged that municipal services were disrupted as rate payers were sent back. “Municpal workers were taken surprised this morning by service providers who locked them out. The service providers were demanding payment for the service they rendered. As the municipality we are engaging them to resolve this issue amicably. Services were distributed at the municipality and for everyone’s safety we asked employees to go back home and come back tomorrow,” said Matebesi. Developing .  . .