Gqeberha Cleaning Workers Protest Unpaid Wages by Dumping Trash at City Hall

The calm aesthetics of the Gqeberha City Hall were abruptly disrupted on Wednesday afternoon when workers from the Mayoral Cleaning and Greening Programme took an unconventional route to air their grievances over delayed wages: they dumped piles of refuse at the venue's entrances. This act left Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Gary van Niekerk and mayco member for public health Buyeye Thsonono navigating through the aftermath of their protest.

The action stemmed from frustration over the workers' monthly stipends, which were delayed by nearly a week. About 200 workers from the Straundale depot vocally expressed their discontent directly to city officials. Xolelwa Nzube, one of the workers, voiced concern over the broken promise of payment by noon, emphasizing the hardship caused by the delay. Baxolile Gongqa's remarks starkly illustrated the sheer need for the stipend, mentioning a lack of food so dire that not even pests could survive in their homes.

Despite the pileup of refuse marring the City Hall precinct, Thsonono expressed empathy rather than condemnation, acknowledging the despondence and frustration of the workers. Mayor van Niekerk went a step further, offering assurances that payment would be forthcoming.

The workers, based in townships such as Zwide, New Brighton, Seyisi, and KwaZakhele, perform vital community services including cleaning illegal dumps, tree planting, and supporting recycling initiatives. Their operations spread out to the metro's 60 wards, involving 1,538 workers—whose service is critical to maintaining the environmental health and aesthetics of the region.

This protest did not emerge in isolation. The project had a tumultuous inception marked by initial protests due to the lack of protective clothing and tools necessary for the workers to carry out their duties. Funded by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environmental Affairs (DFFE), with the municipality providing necessary equipment, the workers operate under trying conditions and the timing of their stipends is essential for their wellbeing.

After enduring hours of uncertainty, workers banking with Nedbank received their stipends by 3 pm on the day of the protest, and promptly cleared the rubbish they had initially deposited in front of the hall. However, workers with other banking institutions were not as fortunate and had to leave by 5 pm without their payments.

DFFE spokesperson Peter Mbelengwa addressed the issue, citing technical challenges for the delay and assuring that a remedial process, with the municipality's support, was being established to prevent future delays. All payments were processed by March 20, 2024, Mbelengwa stated, and should reflect within 48 hours for those with non-Nedbank banks. He confirmed the wages align with the Expanded Public Works Programmes, with general workers earning R130 a day and team leaders R230.