The eThekwini Municipality has taken disciplinary and contractual action after an internal assessment confirmed that the individual captured in a viral video disposing of waste into a stormwater drain is an employee of a contracted waste service provider.
The City said that the incident was addressed during a formal meeting held on January 8, 2026, between senior officials from the Waste Management Directorate and representatives of the contractor.
The meeting was convened to “address the incident and agree on corrective actions”.
The municipality said it raised “serious concerns” over several issues arising from the incident, including “the improper disposal of waste into stormwater infrastructure”, the potential damage to municipal infrastructure, the negative environmental impact and the reputational harm caused to the Municipality.
As a result, the City confirmed that it had imposed a financial penalty on the contractor.
“In terms of Clause XI of the penalties section of the contract, which prohibits the deliberate disposal of refuse into stormwater infrastructure, a financial penalty has been imposed on the contractor,” the City said.
Disciplinary steps have also been taken against the worker involved. According to the City, the contractor “has further confirmed that disciplinary action has been instituted against the employee concerned, and a notice of suspension has been issued”.
Beyond punitive measures, the contractor has been instructed to formally apologise.
The City said the contractor must issue “a formal written apology to the City, which will be delivered at the sitting of the upcoming Portfolio Committee”.
Immediate remedial action has also been ordered to limit environmental harm.
“To address the immediate impact of the incident, the contractor has also been instructed to urgently implement remedial actions, including the cleaning of the affected stormwater drain, to mitigate any environmental or infrastructural damage,” the City said.
The municipality said it will strengthen oversight to prevent similar incidents.
Planned measures include further engagements with all waste management contractors to “reinforce operational, environmental, and safety procedures”, issuing a formal compliance notice to contractors, and enforcing branding rules on personal protective equipment (PPE).
“All contracted workers must wear PPE clearly branded with the contractor’s name or contract number to avoid public confusion,” the City said, adding that contracted workers may not wear PPE bearing eThekwini Municipality or Waste Management Directorate branding.
While the individual involved was not a municipal employee, the City said it remained accountable for services delivered on its behalf.
“The City accepts responsibility for services rendered on its behalf and has taken action in line with the contractual agreement with the contractor, while strengthening controls to ensure that such incidents do not occur again,” said the City.
Reaffirming its environmental commitment, the municipality said it “remains committed to maintaining a clean, safe, and sustainable environment and will not tolerate any actions that undermine environmental protection or public trust”.
Residents were again encouraged to report incidents of improper waste disposal through official municipal reporting channels.
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