WATCH: Clean-up operations begin outside Riverside dump
The City says the provincial government in collaboration with the private sector and the city have embarked on a massive clean-up operation.
SEVERAL truck loads of rubbish were removed outside the DSW Riverside Garden Refuse site on Saturday, as City workers with Metro Police in attendance, began clean-up operations.
The site, situated on Roadhouse Crescent, has been blocked by piles of rubbish that has taken up both sides of the pavement and road, as well as extending onto Riverside Road.
The garden refuse site has been closed due to the ongoing strike action by some eThekwini Municipality workers affiliated with the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu).
A massive clean-up outside the Riverside garden refuse site is currently underway. The site has been closed due to the ongoing strike action by some municipal workers resulting in hundreds of bags of rubbish being illegally dumped on Roadhouse Crescent and Riverside Road. pic.twitter.com/r5wNYaUCEF
— Northglen News (@northglennews) March 16, 2024
The strike, which began last Tuesday (February 27), centres around a pay dispute, has caused havoc for service delivery around the City including refuse collection.
On Thursday, City mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said in a press briefing that the strike had ‘crippled’ service delivery city-wide.
He outlined plans to address service delivery issues and said he anticipates the City will be able to clear the waste backlog within two weeks.
“The provincial government in collaboration with the private sector and the city have embarked on a massive clean-up operation. This will see over 3000 community workers taking part in this initiative. This will bring to 18 000 the number of volunteers that will be deployed in all corners of the municipality to clean areas that are worst affected by the strike. These efforts are being supported by the engagement of already existing contractors who have also started to reduce the waste collection backlog,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi revealed that detectives are currently investigating 31 cases related to the strike including damage to critical infrastructure and public violence.
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