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Nelson Mandela Bay executive mayor, Nqaba Bhanga, has appealed to residents to be vigilant and report any incidents of vandalism of municipal infrastructure.
He said there were municipal workers moving around the city, allegedly sabotaging the municipality's electrical and water infrastructure.
Bhanga referred to incidents in Despatch and Westering this past week where he said water valves were closed.
“There are people closing our water valves throughout the city. This is a criminal act,” he said.
In a video message to residents on the NMB social media pages, Bhanga called on residents to take photos of any incidents of vandalism of municipal infrastructure and send them in.
“We must be decisive against any individual who is sabotaging the residents. The residents have done nothing in this,” he added.
The executive mayor’s appeal comes amid an ongoing strike by members of the SA Municipal Workers Union, Samwu which has placed several demands before the City.
These include a “scare skills allowance” as well as a Covid19 “danger allowance.”
A union spokesperson told the Weekend Post that they were prepared to make the city “ungovernable” if their demands were not met.
He also denied that Samwu members were involved in any sabotage of municipal infrastructure, laying the blame on criminal elements
Nelson Mandela Bay has turned to the courts for an interdict, with the interim order declaring the strike by workers in “essential services” as “unlawful and unprotected.”
Bhanga called on striking employees to return to work on Monday and for Samwu to return to the negotiating table.
