eThekwini warns residents not to burn refuse
The eThekwini Fire Department has warned communities not to burn piling refuse as they don't know what's disposed in the black bags.
Crews had to rush to the Durban Solid Waste depot on Canehaven Drive in Phoenix on Monday night where a mountain of rubbish had been set alight.
The flames were quickly doused.
An ongoing strike by municipal workers has meant waste in the city has not been collected in more than two weeks.
Member of the provincial legislature Bradley Singh, who lives in Phoenix, says he made his way to the depot after the fire was started.
READ: Mayor to update residents of strike-hit eThekwini
"A few days before that there was a little fire that these guys started. What has happened is that the refuse that people have been throwing outside the refuse site has become a little mountain and now refuse is being thrown onto the road."
Singh says the strike has violated multiple basic human rights - adding that municipal workers union Samwu has the city's leadership in a chokehold.
"People also have lives to live. The city is saying keep your refuse onto your property and when the workers decide to come back the sad reality is that unions have the city helpless."
eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda is expected to address the service delivery disruptions at a briefing on Wednesday. Last week, he ordered striking workers to return to work immediately or face dismissal.
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