Pretoria - It took some fancy brainwork on the part of the police to eventually remove informal traders who on Thursday held officials in the city’s economic development department hostage for more than five hours.
After a long stand-off, police told the angry group that a senior director in another office near Church Square had invited them to discuss their problems.
The traders hastily left the Saambou Building. But on arrival they were told the director had just departed.
Discouraged, they left.
The traders accused acting director Bob Sebola of misusing funds allocated to their sector.
The traders, affiliated to the Tshwane Barekisi Forum, stormed into the building at 9:30am, angry that officials had allegedly misappropriated funds allocated to them by the previous ANC administration.
A portion of the budget was meant for a bursary scheme initiated by former mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa for the children of informal traders.
The city has previously stated the bursary scheme was cancelled because it was not budgeted for.
The traders blocked entrances to some offices on the 10th floor, from where the department operates.
They crowded the corridors, chanted derogatory songs, beat drums and blew whistles inside the building.
They refused to leave or let officials go in until the department’s officials had given them a proper explanation on what happened to the money.
Metro police and SAPS officers called in to defuse the drama were sent packing by the traders. “We are going to undress if you touch us,” some women dared the law-enforcement officers.
