The City of Cape Town has welcomed the ruling by the Western Cape High Court to make the interim interdict granted on 23 May 2013 against 89 former employees of Sannicare CC, as well as seven residents of Ward 40 associated with the ANCYL, a final court order, according to a statement made by the Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Patricia De Lille on Wednesday 19 June 2013.

According to De Lille, the seven residents were identified in the City’s affidavit to the court as having been actively engaged in “unlawful conduct, aimed at preventing or discouraging delivery of services.”
This is as a result of an on-going labour dispute between one of their largest contractors responsible for cleaning toilets in the city, Sannicare CC, and its employees.  “Throughout this on-going dispute, we have sought to use City staff to help clean toilets in the areas where Sannicare is currently unable to deliver on its contractual obligations. However, in many instances their efforts have been met with violent resistance and threats from community members,” said De Lille in an earlier statement.

The court order obtained restricts these individuals, and any others, from interfering with the City and their contractor’s staff and property and compels the relevant law enforcement agencies to take the necessary action to stop them. It also prevents the respondents from blockading any roads, into and surrounding the N2, Borchard’s Quarry, NY108, the R300, Klipfontein Road, Stock Road, Symphony Way, Sheffield Road and Vanguard Drive.

“This will boost the City’s on-going efforts to provide desperately needed essential services to affected communities, especially in those areas worst affected by the violence such as Kosovo, Kanana and Barcelona without the obstruction of a few individuals.

“The City views threats of violence and the disruption of basic service provision in a very serious light and will not allow the actions of a small minority to affect the living conditions of the majority of citizens.

“We will continue to use every available legal channel to stop this well-coordinated attacks on City staff and contractors, innocent citizens and public property. We call on all involved, to desist with any form of illegal behaviour and appeal to the ANCYL to call on their members to do so,” concluded De Lille.