TERROR IN TSHWANE: Shots, stones, petrol bombs in capital city close to collapse

South Africa’s capital city, Tshwane, has been gripped by violence amid ongoing strike action by some municipal workers over a 0% salary increase. Community Safety MMC Grandi Theunissen of the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) tells BizNews that there have been cases of attempted murder, torching of vehicles, arson, stone-throwing, tyre-slashing, and intimidation.  He says it has gone “beyond” a normal labour protest and turned into “a violent, orchestrated criminal onslaught against the City and the people of the City as well as co-workers”. Theunissen charges that the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have played a “disruptive” role - and are even “participating in criminal activities”. On how close Tshwane is to collapse, he says:  “…if we are allowed to work on our recovery plan and our funding plan, then I see that we can survive. If we are going to be forced into something that we do not want to do, there is a chance that this is going to happen.” On a positive note, seven new senior managers have been appointed, two of whom have already started work.