Durban - Clean-up operations started in most parts of eThekwini on Friday following a destructive wildcat strike by municipal workers last week.
According to the municipality, teams from various departments - particularly Durban Solid Waste - would work throughout the weekend "to cover the backlog and ensure that the situation is restored to normality".
The strike took place on Tuesday and Thursday last week, with about 3000 municipal workers gathering at Durban City Hall while their colleagues gridlocked the area with municipal trucks. Main roads into the city were also blocked by city trucks.
Rubbish was strewn in the streets and set alight, refuse wasn't collected throughout the metro and water was cut to several areas, which in turn led to protests by community members.
On Wednesday, as the country went to the polls to contest its national and provincial elections, Durban residents voting at city hall had to pass or walk through mounds of rubbish that had been festering for a week.
The municipality said that the wage-related dispute had been "amicably resolved" on Tuesday.
"Refuse collection and the restoration of water and electricity services has already begun. Water tankers are being delivered to communities affected by water shortage due to infrastructure malfunctioning that is unrelated to the strike," said the municipality.