The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) in the North West has issued an urgent call to the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality to guarantee the safety of its employees.  

This demand follows a shooting incident that allegedly took place at the municipal building, bringing all operations to a halt. 

The volatile situation is fueled by a deep-seated political conflict within the council, where two rival ANC councillors are both claiming the title of mayor.  

This power struggle has previously divided the council and led to physical altercations, including fist fights during official sittings. 

SAMWU chairperson in the municipality, Tshepo Mogwere expressed the union’s primary concern. 

“Even though we don’t have full information of what exactly happened yesterday, our main concern here is the safety of the workers. As SAMWU we are saying that we need to sit down with the employer to discuss the safety measures in terms of the employees of the municipality. We have to engage with the corporate services in terms of who will be able to come and who will not be able to come because of the trauma and everything so that we can be able to introduce the program to the workers to assist them with counselling.”  

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Tensions persist at Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality in the North West, where two ANC councillors both claim to be mayor, leaving the council divided and leading to physical violence in past sittings. Thabiso Moss reports. pic.twitter.com/y94THFZLWM

— SABC News (@SABCNews) August 26, 2025