Durban - Protesters have been interdicted from gathering illegally outside the gates of the Gooderson Leisure Drakensberg Gardens Golf and Spa resort.
In terms of a final court order granted on Wednesday, the protesters, which include employees of the resort, have also been restrained from burning tyres or blockading the entrance to the resort, and from intimidating, threatening or assaulting other employees and guests of the resort.
The application to stop the violent protests was brought by Tsebo Outsourcing Group, which provides cleaning services to the resort, and Aliwall Investments, which owns the resort.
According to an affidavit placed before the Pietermaritzburg High Court by Meganthran Reddy, general manager of Tsebo Outsourcing Group, the company provides cleaning, gardening and laundry services to the resort. It deploys about 75 employees at the resort to fulfil these services.
The protest started on October 30, when certain employees, joined by other individuals from the surrounding areas, blockaded access to the resort, intimidated guests and threatened violence.
The resort is about 26km west of Himeville.
Reddy explained that it was action taken against certain employees on September 24 that led to the illegal protest.
He said that in September, certain employees had been involved in misconduct at the resort.
They then protested, threw stones at guests and employees, hindered guests from entering or leaving the resort, and threatened employees who refused to join the protest action.
In an attempt to prevent further violence, Reddy said he and other officials met the employees to discuss their concerns, but these efforts did not bear fruit and the employment contracts of certain employees were terminated and others suspended pending the finalisation of a disciplinary hearing.
The employees continued to gather outside the resort, burned tyres and blocked the entrance.
Reddy said he was also informed that gunshots had been fired.
”The situation has become uncontainable and dangerous,” he said.
Reddy said his company and the resort were being severely prejudiced by the protest, which was disrupting business.
The resort’s guests, mostly international, could not enter or leave, and had been frightened by the violence.
Daily News
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