By Louise Flanagan, Lee Rondganger and Alex Eliseev
After a violent standoff between Joburg metro cops and SA police, greater Johannesburg - which includes Randburg and Sandton - faces a day without policing.
Its metro cops are on strike today, Thursday, claiming rampant nepotism and favouritism in their department.
In dramatic action on Wednesday, more than 400 protesting metro cops blocked the M2 highway that rings the city, bringing thousands of peak-hour motorists to a standstill.
Shooting erupted when SA police in riot gear arrived with metro police (JMPD) using live ammunition and police firing rubber bullets.
Seven metro cops were injured.
On Wednesday night SA Municipal Workers' Union organiser Vincent Vena, speaking from metro headquarters in Loveday Street, said there would be no metro police on duty on Thursday.
None had been on duty last night, either.
Vena said 99 percent of the more than 500 JMPD staff - uniformed as well as non-uniformed office staff - from across the city had converged on the base on Wednesday to demand to talk to City of Johannesburg management about their grievances.
On Thursday he expected "101 percent will be out" as staff planned to return to base from 7am to await feedback.
They want the city's human resources director to address them.
"Obviously it (the stayaway) will hit the public hard, which is not our aim," Vena said. "Nobody will die on the roads if the traffic officers are not there."
Asked what effect this would have on crime fighting, he said: "Whether we are on the streets or not, it won't deter criminals from their wrongdoings."
Police are defined as essential services and are restricted in their right to strike.
"We don't want to call it a strike but, yes, you can interpret it that way because no one will be at work."
Vena said JMPD staff believed there was a high level of nepotism in the department, as well as a disparity in salaries.
"Certain metro police officers, who are friends with the bosses, are allegedly paid far above the agreed salary bands, while other officers with more than 20 years' experience are still on the minimum band."
He claimed newly employed officers were being paid R4500 instead of the entry-level salary of R8250.
On Wednesday, motorists watched in amazement as, around them on the M2 motorway, police took on police, trapping civilians in the crossfire.
The running battle continued under a hovering helicopter and ended with metro police fleeing into the city down the Eloff Street onramp.
Later, when SA police entered the metro headquarters to negotiate, one was injured by agitated JMPD cops hurling rocks.
The gunfight came after hundreds of protesting metro police blocked both lanes of the M2 highway going east and west.
Just after 6pm, SAPS officers clad in riot geared moved in and tried to get the JMPD officers to disperse. They refused and forced the two dozen or so police officers to move back.
Minutes later, a Nyala rolled towards the chanting protesters. A policeman popped his head out of the vehicle and threw a stun grenade. Police then opened fired, using rubber bullets.
Scores of metro cops drew their service weapons and shot back while they fled. As stunned motorists hit the ground, some rolling under their stranded vehicles, the shooting continued, with SA police driving back JMPD officers.
Earlier, frustrated motorists pleaded with the metro police to open the highway.
Angry motorist Ray Carr, who was stuck in traffic on the west-bound M2 for several hours, described tense confrontations between metro police and the public.
He said JMPD officers swore at and assaulted some commuters who tried to remove the blockades.
"They were spraying pepper into people's eyes," he said. "One policeman hit someone across the face with a tree branch.
"They had their hands on their guns as people were trying to get over the barrier. The public were very, very angry," said Carr.
On Wednesday night, SAPS spokespersons either refused to comment or had turned off their cellphones.