Port Elizabeth - Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Mayor Nondumiso Maphazi has condemned the incident in which municipal workers’ houses were torched apparently because they had not participated in the strike over the municipality’s recruitment policies.

Ms Maphazi who visited the houses in Zwide and Motherwell on Thursday described the incidents as barbaric.

“Just the ruins of these homes paint a picture of a total and criminal disregard for the property and lives of others,” said Mayor Maphazi.

The three houses were petrol bombed earlier this week.

On Tuesday, the house of Phakamile Mbambosi who works at the Motherwell Building Division was set alight after attackers threw a petrol bomb through one of her windows.

Her home on 71 Mlambo Street was burnt to the ground.

Fundiswa Ngxishe, a Housing and Land Department employee, realised on her way home from work on Wednesday that her house had been gutted.

The same method was used by the perpetrators.

On the same day, Ward Councillor Likhaya Matebese was attacked by petrol bombers, however the burglar bars on the windows of her Ngedle Street, Motherwell home prevented the bombs from getting inside.

The North West branch of the South African Municipal Workers’ Union has said the collapse of service delivery in the metro has come as a result of both management and councilors being unwilling to resolve the problem.

Provincial Secretary Moshe Sedike earlier said: “We call on the municipality to constructively engage the union in solving the problem that led to the collapse of service delivery to the communities, rural, semi-rural and urban areas.” - BuaNews