AN ONGOING strike by Buffalo City Metro Municipality workers is causing a big stink!
Residents in Dunga Street, Duncan Village in East London, had a dam of kak in front of their homes for the past three days while rubbish around the city has been piling up for a week.
Residents said they reported the matter to the municipality and were told nothing could be done to help them. The problem started on Monday when two toilets were blocked. The overflow ran through residents’ yards and into the street.
Nosakhele Bolo (70) said they couldn’t eat because of the smell.
“It’s difficult to even breathe,” she said.
Nonquba Ngobe (71) added: “My neighbour and I decided to try and clean the street of the human waste.”
Nonquba said even getting water was a problem because the communal water taps were located right next to the blocked sewer.
The SACP’s Skenjana Roji said it supported the strike.
“It cannot be accepted that the municipality was upgraded to metro level with councillors paid metro level salaries and rates also at metro level, but employees are still paid at local level.”
Acting city manager Nceba Ncunyana apologised to the community for any inconvenience caused due to non-collection of rubbish.
Ncunyana urged residents not to take out rubbish until further notice.
The municipality’s mayoral spokesman Sibusiso Cindi said a meeting had been held with the striking workers.
“The outcome of the meeting hadn’t been announced yet,” said Cindi.