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- A new attack on Clover's operations has left a second security guard dead in two months, and another two seriously injured.
- The company says striking workers arrived at a Clayville operation on Thursday and attacked security personnel.
- In January, a guard in the same area was killed during a strike.
A second security guard has been killed at Clover's operations in two months as a violent strike grips the company.
South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Sello confirmed that Olifantsfontein police have arrested two suspects after the death of a 56-year-old security officer.
"The victim was allegedly pelted with stones by protesters while three other security officers sustained injuries. The two arrested suspects, aged 33 and 47 years old, are expected to appear before court soon on charges of murder. Police investigation continues," said Sello.
Clover accused striking workers of killing the bodyguard, and critically injuring another two at Clayville in the Olifantsfontein area in Midrand.
"This is the second guard to be murdered, the first of whom was Mr Tsephe Molatsi who was murdered by striking workers on 22 January," Clover said in a statement.
Clover said it had video and images of the incident in which the bodyguards, who reportedly worked for Personal Protection Services (PPS), were beaten, but said this was handed to the police for evidence.
Clover spokesperson Steven Velthuysen said about 150 striking workers arrived in three buses, tried to gain access to the Clayville property, and attacked security with guns, rocks, batons, and other weapons.
"This simply cannot go on. Repeated violence by union members is completely unacceptable. Another person has now been murdered. The union leaders and their members have all but ignored two interdicts, and are clearly out of control. This is not industrial action. It's murder," said Velthuysen.
In January, an attack on a Clover delivery truck in Olifansfontein, Gauteng led to the death of Molatsi. While the company blamed striking unions for the death, they have denied responsibility or involvement.
This comes in the middle of an ongoing strike at the dairy producer, with the Food and Allied Workers' Union (Fawu) and the General Industrial Workers' Union of South Africa (Giwusa) fighting against restructuring and for the reversal of retrenchments at the company.
The unions also want the takeover of Clover by Israel-based Central Bottling Company's Milco probed by the Competition Commission, as job creation was a condition of the merger's approval.
Fawu deputy secretary-general Moloko Phakedi flatly denied any violence on the part of the union when Fin24 reached out to him for comment on Clover's allegations.
"We have already denied violence and we have already maintained that our policy does not include violence and we call on these killings to be investigated and for the killers to be brought to justice," said Phakedi.
Lee-Ann Turck of PPS confirmed that one of its members was lost on Thursday following an attacked close to the Clover in Clayville, with two more injured.
"SAPS are investigating these brutal crimes against our staff and we trust that the perpetrators will be brought to justice. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased and the injured. We are heartbroken at the loss of our colleague and brother, he has left an empty hole within PPS," said Turck.
Attempts to reach Giwusa secretary-general John Appolis were unsuccessful.
*This article was updated to clarify that the unnamed security guard who was killed worked for Personal Protection Services (PPS) and not PPA Security.
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