THE woman that was seen in a viral video sweeping waste into a nearby stormwater drain has been suspended and her employer fined by the City.

The eThekwini Municipality last week began investigating the matter after the video went viral on social media. Municipal spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said the investigation established that the woman, who was dressed in full eThekwini Municipality uniform, is an employee of a contracted waste service provider.

“The contractor has confirmed that disciplinary action has been instituted against the employee concerned, and a notice of suspension has been issued,” said Sisilana. “In terms of Clause XI of the penalties’ section of the contract, which prohibits the deliberate disposal of refuse into stormwater infrastructure, a financial penalty has been imposed on the contractor.”

She said during the meeting with the contractor the contractor was instructed to issue a formal written apology to the City, which will be delivered at the sitting of the upcoming Portfolio Committee.

Also Read: Outrage as municipal worker sweeps waste into storm drain 

“To address the immediate impact of the incident, the contractor has also been instructed to urgently implement remedial actions, including the cleaning of the affected stormwater drain, to mitigate any environmental or infrastructural damage,” said Sisilana.

The City also expressed concern with the improper disposal of waste into stormwater infrastructure, the potential damage to municipal infrastructure, the negative environmental impact and the reputational harm caused to the municipality. It was also agreed upon that all contracted workers must wear PPE clearly branded with the contractor’s name or contract number to avoid public confusion.

“The City accepts responsibility for services rendered on its behalf and has taken action in line with the contractual agreement with the contractor, while strengthening controls to ensure that such incidents do not occur again,” said Sisilana.

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