DURBAN City, a buzzing tourism capital in South Africa, known for warm weather, beautiful beaches and exciting activities has been turned into a wasteland overnight after municipal workers went on strike on Tuesday, February 27.

The strike has resulted in essential municipal services being severely impacted, and one of the most visible impacts can be seen on the streets of Durban, which are littered with uncollected garbage, as the City’s waste workers form part of the strike.

The strike is being spearheaded by eThekwini Municipality workers affiliated with the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU).
Since waste collection services have also been disrupted due to the strike action, the City has requested that residents not take out their refuse until further notice.

Also Read: City to take extreme measures over unlawful strike

In an earlier statement, the municipality said the strike action came at a time when the City was making progress in repairing the infrastructure that was damaged by the consecutive severe disasters over the past five years, including the Covid-19 Pandemic, the July 2021 Civil Unrest and the 2022 and 2023 floods.

This morning, eThekwini Municipality mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said employees who have vandalised and sabotaged vital infrastructure during the ongoing illegal strike will face the full might of the law and consequence management.

Also Read: Pink eye cases increase in eThekwini

His statement follows the arrest of 13 municipal workers late yesterday (Monday) in Springfield Park.

According to the South African Police Services (SAPS), the suspects, aged between 36 and 59 years, were arrested for contravention of a court order, damage to infrastructure and malicious damage to property after they had gathered at the municipal offices on Electron Road.

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