A 42-year-old member of the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) was arrested for theft, hindering a police official of his duties, and assaulting a police official.
Samwu members had a strike at the main building of the Matjhabeng Municipality on Tuesday, 30 January. The Welkom Public Order Policing (POP) were monitoring the situation.
One of the strikers approached a police vehicle at the scene and stole its key from the ignition, along with a petrol card, and ran towards the crowd, now pursued by the police. The crowd was hostile and pushed the police members away.
The striker was approached while in the crowd but he refused to give back the police vehicle key. The key then fell on the ground and was recovered.
The POP members went to Welkom Police Station to lay a charge of theft of a police vehicle and petrol card.
The suspect was arrested at the police station where he pleaded with the police members to not register the case against him.
The suspect will appear in the Welkom Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 1 February.
