The incident took place in front of a South Point Melridge student residence on the corner of Stiemens and Melle streets in Braamfontein when a striking Pikitup worker allegedly released the stationary vehicle’s handbrake and left the truck rolling down the street.
According to an eyewitness, the striking workers allegedly hurled stones and other various objects at the privately-owned truck, thereafter forcing the driver out of the vehicle.
“After the driver abandoned the truck, one of the striking workers got into [it], released the handbrake, and let the truck run on its own down the street. The truck hit a tree as it passed Melle Street, before it hit a private security car and then the BMW 1 Series. Everything happened very fast,” said a witness who did not want to be identified in fear of being hurt by striking workers.
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The witness added that it would have been worse if the school was still busy, as the road is always full of school children at that time of day.
A student who lives at the residence, and who also did not want to be named, said Mathebula visited the residence frequently.
“I was not in the car when it happened,” was all the soccer star had to say.
Johannesburg Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Environment and Infrastructure Services, Matshidiso Mfikoe, condemned the ongoing ‘lawlessness’ displayed by striking Pikitup workers this week. “It is not acceptable for the workers to go on an illegal strike, ignore a court order to return to work, and continue to trash the streets of the city when they had not communicated their grievances to the City’s leadership,” said Mfikoe.
