Some first-hand intel on what’s going on down in the Cape:

A friend who employs workers in the Somerset West area told me last week his workers who live in the nearby Lwandle township near Sir Lowry’s Pass are petrified of coming to work as there has been seven (7) people killed by labour union employees/representatives/members/thugs for going to work and being “undisciplined”. Although his employees are still coming to work, as they cannot afford to go without the income to support their families, they are having to dodge these murderous thugs to get into and out of the township safely.

A team of workers employed by my dad were told to stop working on a construction site or face attack by labour union thugs. Moreover, his foremen collect employees (as an employee benefit) near the Philippi Township at the N2 off ramp near which many of them live, but they are being attacked if seen climbing onto a work vehicle. Not only are the resident workers not safe, but the foremen and the vehicles they drive. As a result the workers are having to be collected further and further away from the township. Intel from the workers is that there are thugs manning the entry and exit points to the townships and that they are interrogated, Nazi style, to find out where they are heading off to for the day. They don’t know who these Union Nazis are.

Another friend who owns a major civils construction business in the Western Cape was attacked while in his Toyota Hilux vehicle on site. His digger loader that was also on site was also attacked and greatly damaged. A group of 20-30 Union Nazis attacked his vehicle and digger loader with rocks and knopkieries, doing significant damage to both vehicles. This was to serve as a threat and warning not to come back to work on site until the strikes have been resolved.

None of the above is positive for the prospects of employment creation or reinvestment into businesses down in the Cape. I suspect this trend is nationwide.