Households in Tongaat say they are paying for waste services they are not receiving, as eThekwini Municipality cites supply chain delays and SABS verification for an ongoing refuse bag shortage, POST has reported.

Residents in Tongaat and surrounding communities say they are bearing the cost of a municipal failure after eThekwini Municipality admitted to a shortage of black refuse bags.

The shortage has forced households to buy their own bags despite paying refuse levies, sparking outrage over what residents describe as poor service delivery and weak supply chain management.

The municipality confirmed a “temporary shortage” of refuse bags, attributing the delay to product verification processes conducted by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). Officials said this step was necessary to ensure compliance with quality standards.

In the interim, the city has urged residents to avoid littering and illegal dumping and to use alternative bags where possible. It added that efforts were under way to fast-track the tender process and restore supply.

However, DA eThekwini Exco Member Yogis Govender said the explanation followed months of silence despite repeated complaints from residents.

She said Durban Solid Waste (DSW), under the leadership of IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi, had failed to provide a sustainable solution. According to Govender, only 1,600 packs were delivered after weeks of delays, far below the amount required to service more than 50,000 households.

“This is plain inefficiency in management,” Govender said, adding that residents were being billed for a service not rendered. She called for affected households to be reimbursed for purchasing their own refuse bags.

Residents say the financial strain is mounting. Jerusha Gopal, a Flamingo Heights resident, said many families cannot afford to regularly buy refuse bags.

She said a pack costs about R40 and that some households need more than one pack a month. “We pay our bills expecting the service, but we are not getting it,” Gopal said.

Abdool Ganie, who lives in the Tongaat CBD, said residents had gone months without receiving municipal refuse bags. He said he now spends about R36 per pack, purchasing bags up to three times a month.

Ganie added that torn or substandard alternative bags have contributed to littered streets. “We pay for refuse removal but do not receive the bags,” he said, describing the situation as frustrating and unfair.

Rachael Naidoo, secretary of the Tongaat Civic Association (TCA), warned that the shortage, combined with a recent heatwave, posed serious health risks.

She said uncollected or poorly contained waste could attract vermin and increase the likelihood of disease outbreaks. Naidoo argued that the crisis reflected deeper flaws in the municipality’s planning and procurement systems.

According to the TCA, delays linked to SABS verification point to chronic supply chain failures. The association also criticised the city for not providing clear timelines for restoring supply.

Naidoo said the TCA is demanding weekly updates on the tender process and verification status. The association has also called for residents not to be charged the full refuse levy for months in which bags were not supplied.

“If the so-called temporary shortage continues, we will consider seeking higher government intervention or legal recourse,” Naidoo said.

The municipality has apologised for the inconvenience and thanked residents for their patience, saying it remains committed to restoring normal service as soon as possible.

IOL News

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