A labour court in South Africa has ordered a halt to a strike by nurses and teachers who are demanding a better pay.

Health authorities have welcomed the ruling saying, it will empower them to implement a no-work no-pay policy if the strike continues.

Thousands of members of the National Education and Health Workers Union, have been on strike since last week after failing to resolve their wage dispute with the government.

Military medics have also been dispatched to assist in some of the worst-affected hospitals.

The health minister said the deaths of four patients could be directly attributed to the strike, but the union said the strike “has never killed anyone”.