Two suspects have been arrested after a group of striking Clover workers stoned and beat an armed security guard to death at the milk producers premises in Clayville, Johannesburg.
The suspects aged 33 and 47, are expected to appear at the Thembisa magistrate’s court after the guard was murdered on Thursday.
“The victim was allegedly pelted with stones by protesters while three other security officers sustained injuries,” police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Sello said in a statement.
During the violent strike, the angry workers were captured in a 4 minute long video chasing a security officer in uniform and holding his rifle.
The crowd catches up with the guard who was seen retreating, before they then take turns hitting him with rocks, batons and one of them used the guards rifle to hit him mercilessly on the head while the victim lays motionless on the ground.
According to Clover, the striking workers left one security guard dead, and critically injured two others.
“This is the second guard to be murdered, the first of whom was Mr Tsephe Molatsi who was murdered by striking workers on 22 January 2022,” Clover spokesperson Steven Velthuysen said in a statement.
Velthuysen said about 150 striking workers arrived in three buses, tried to gain access to the Clayville property, and attacked security personnel with guns, rocks, batons, and other weapons.
Security guards refused to allow the workers to enter and that’s when they were viciously attacked
“This simply cannot go on. Repeated violence by union members is completely unacceptable. Another person has now been murdered. The union leaders and their members have all but ignored two interdicts, and are clearly out of control. This is not industrial action. It’s murder,” said Velthuysen.
Read also: Foreign Trucker Robbed, Truck Petrol Bombed in Ladysmith
Velthuysen added that the company has photos and video footage of the guards being beaten and one being killed.
The evidence has been handed to the police, she said. IOL
