WATCH: Pretoria CBD chaos as buses block all major intersections

Traffic is backed up and blocked at the intersection of Bosman and Pretoriua Street. Picture: Val Boje

Traffic is backed up and blocked at the intersection of Bosman and Pretoriua Street. Picture: Val Boje

Published Jul 29, 2019

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Pretoria - Traffic in the city centre of Pretoria is gridlocked on Monday morning with municipal buses blocking all the major intersections into the CBD. 

The blockade is part of a widespread municipal workers protest over pay and outsourcing of services.

Outside Tshwane House, the municipal headquarters, hundreds of workers stood waiting, unable to access the building. 

A group said they had received notification from the acting city manager, Lorette Tedoux, that Monday was a "normal working day" and they should be at their desks by 9am or risk not being paid.

While they waited on the steps and pavement, a group formed at the corner of Madiba and Lilian Ngoyi streets outside Tshwane House sang and marched down Madiba Street towards the Pretoria News building. 

Traffic is gridlocked on Van Der hoof road. Video: Goitsemang Tlhabye

Approached for comment, Samwu members said they were not allowed to speak to the media, but stressed that this was not a strike, but rather a call for answers from the mayor of Tshwane. 

By 9am the city was fairly quiet: earlier taxis and cars resorted to all means to get out of the gridlock caused by municipal buses blocking all the major access routes into the CBD. 

Many school children were unable to get to school because the regular bus service was suspended, while city workers shared anecdotes of taking a taxi or abandoning their cars on the side of the road, to be collected later, and some businesses closed their doors.

A metro officer standing watch near a bus in Madiba Street said they were observing as they are not allowed to take part in the protest, but he said they supported the action, and the mayor and city managers should take note. 

Last week striking workers outside Tshwane House presented a memorandum, giving 14 days for a response. - Staff Reporter

Pretoria News

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