The strike action by municipal workers has affected a number of city areas in recent weeks with reports of refuse not being collected for days on end.
About 50 residential areas, including large parts of Mitchell's Plain, Strandfontein, Bellville and surrounds, Durbanville, Wynberg, Diep River, Plumstead and Parkwood, have been affected by the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) action.
And a number of city residents have called the Cape Argus to vent their frustration at not having their rubbish collected on time.
Evan Ravens, 64, of Wynberg, said 15 wheelie bins in Cheddar Road, where he lives, had not been collected for two weeks.
"This is a potential health and fire hazard. Kids and beggars could knock the bins over and this could block our drains.
To top it all, we have a take-away around the corner and they can't make food with this filth outside. And the butcher, they throw ofal (off-cuts) away, this is disgusting," he said.
Another resident, Wilfred Dick, 48, who lives in Diep River, said rubbish in Jenkins Road had not been collected for five days.
"Dirt is lying all over the show, in my yard, the pool, it is terrible. And the stench, I could smell it in the lounge," he said.
But a statement by the city on Friday said: "While most of the suburbs in the city have not been affected, the solid waste department is steadily reducing the backlog of refuse removal being experienced in some areas as a result of the Samwu strike."
About 1 000 Samwu members marched to the Civic Centre at the end of January to hand over a memorandum of their grievances which were centred on the restructuring processes.
But what started as a peaceful march through the city centre ended in a battle between workers, who turned over rubbish bins, and the police, who retaliated by firing rubber bullets.
Director for the city's solid waste management department, Rustim Keraan, said solid waste removal was not an essential service but if rubbish had not been collected for two weeks it was regarded as a crisis.
"The 14th day was on January 10 already and I can't say when refuse removal will be back to normal," he said.
Keraan said unions had engaged in a "work to rule" approach and refused to work over-time.
"This is a disruption tactic, but we are going to compel them (municipal workers) to work," he said.
Residents in affected areas have been advised to leave their wheelie bins and excess waste on the pavement for collection.
Keraan said the department's intention was to sort out the issue by early this week but it could take another week to normalise the situation.
"We are mobilising other units and are pulling out all the stops," he added. - Cape Argus
About 50 residential areas, including large parts of Mitchell's Plain, Strandfontein, Bellville and surrounds, Durbanville, Wynberg, Diep River, Plumstead and Parkwood, have been affected by the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) action.
And a number of city residents have called the Cape Argus to vent their frustration at not having their rubbish collected on time.
| 'This is a disruption tactic, but we are going to compel them to work' |
"This is a potential health and fire hazard. Kids and beggars could knock the bins over and this could block our drains.
To top it all, we have a take-away around the corner and they can't make food with this filth outside. And the butcher, they throw ofal (off-cuts) away, this is disgusting," he said.
Another resident, Wilfred Dick, 48, who lives in Diep River, said rubbish in Jenkins Road had not been collected for five days.
"Dirt is lying all over the show, in my yard, the pool, it is terrible. And the stench, I could smell it in the lounge," he said.
| 'We are mobilising other units and are pulling out all the stops' |
About 1 000 Samwu members marched to the Civic Centre at the end of January to hand over a memorandum of their grievances which were centred on the restructuring processes.
But what started as a peaceful march through the city centre ended in a battle between workers, who turned over rubbish bins, and the police, who retaliated by firing rubber bullets.
Director for the city's solid waste management department, Rustim Keraan, said solid waste removal was not an essential service but if rubbish had not been collected for two weeks it was regarded as a crisis.
"The 14th day was on January 10 already and I can't say when refuse removal will be back to normal," he said.
Keraan said unions had engaged in a "work to rule" approach and refused to work over-time.
"This is a disruption tactic, but we are going to compel them (municipal workers) to work," he said.
Residents in affected areas have been advised to leave their wheelie bins and excess waste on the pavement for collection.
Keraan said the department's intention was to sort out the issue by early this week but it could take another week to normalise the situation.
"We are mobilising other units and are pulling out all the stops," he added. - Cape Argus
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