The DA condemns the ongoing protest in parts of the city which has resulted in the closure of roads and the interruption of crucial service delivery.
We remain concerned about the nature of the protest and its effect on services such as the city wide non-collection of refuse and the inability to respond to repairs to critical services such as water and sanitation.
The DA has reliably learnt that the departments affected by the protest include Durban Solid Waste (DSW), Water and Sanitation (EWS), Parks, and Roads.
We are reliably told that the workers have taken to the streets to protest against the municipality, demanding better pay that is comparable to their counterparts in other metro municipalities, such as Tshwane and Ekurhuleni.
While we respect legal and peaceful protesting, we ask that the workers put the residents first. The city is on the verge of total collapse. It has suffered enough as a result of the incompetent leadership of the ANC and its partners. There has been a clear vacuum in the city’s leadership and the Mayor, Thomas Kaunda, has dismally failed to provide clear guidance to the municipality.
The DA calls for the city’s so-called leadership, Kaunda and the City Manager, Musa Mbhele, to urgently attend to the workers, resolve what is possible and or deal decisively with workers who are engaged in an illegal protest that is affecting service delivery.