JOHANNESBURG – It is reported that violent protests have erupted at a Makro store in Northern Johannesburg.
According to Thomson Reuters witness, Makro employees have been on a wage strike for at least a week now.
At least 50 customers including Thomson Reuter employees are reported trapped inside the store as protesting staff are stoning at their cars at the car park.
“We’re trapped inside, in the bottles section, and the guys are outside toyi-toying (dancing),” she said by phone. “They’ve told us to move to the back of the store.”
Marune Rossouw, a Thomson Reuters employee says that customers are terrified and they fear for their lives as the strike is turning more and more violent.
“You can tell here that people are terrified, they don’t know what to do because their vehicles are being stoned and we are also trapped here, we don’t know what these protestors will do next,” she said.
It is believed the violent protests come after the management of the store has failed to come to a consensus with the demands of the employees.
The store is part of Massmart’s Makro chain with branches across South Africa.
No comment so far has been received from a police spokesperson or a Massmart spokesperson about the incident at the store.
Leave a Reply