Clean-up operations have begun in most parts of eThekwini, after services were disrupted due to an illegal strike action by Municipal employees last week.

As of Tuesday, 07 May 2019, the dispute between the workers and the Municipality was amicably resolved and all employees have resumed their duties.

Refuse collection and the restoration of water and electricity services has already begun. Water tankers are being delivered to communities affected by water shortage due to infrastructure malfunctioning that is unrelated to the strike.

Teams from the various departments, particularly Durban Solid Waste, will work throughout the weekend to cover the backlog and ensure that the situation is restored to normality.

Mayor Zandile Gumede thanked residents for their patience and understanding during this difficult time.

“We unreservedly apologise for the immense inconvenience that the illegal strike has caused to our citizens. We assure you that the issues between the protesting employees and ourselves are being addressed and we are working around the clock to clean up the City and provide high quality services to you, our clients.”

The Mayor has also thanked the people of eThekwini for coming out in their numbers to vote in the recent elections. She believes that the strength of our democracy lies with our people choosing the government of their choice.

“We appreciate the millions of our residents who came out to vote and the preliminary voter turnout in eThekwini is a clear indication that our democracy is vibrant and alive,” ended Mayor Gumede.