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Only one lift has been working for about two months in the municipality's Lilian Diedericks Building
Only one lift has been working for about two months in the municipality's Lilian Diedericks BuildingPicture: Eugene Coetzee

Traumatised staff skip lunch and dodge stairs after being trapped between floors

Municipal staff reach new heights of frustration over broken lifts

No early relief as first replacement units only expected in February next year

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Hundreds of municipal staff at Nelson Mandela Bay's Lilian Diedericks Building have been left climbing up to 17 flights of stairs each day due to chronic lift failures. Frustrated workers report being trapped on their floors, enduring excessive queues, and experiencing breakdowns that have left staff stuck inside elevators for hours.

The municipality has acknowledged the disruptions and launched an R8.8m refurbishment project. However, with the first replacements not expected until early 2027 and no hybrid working arrangements granted, employees face ongoing daily struggles to access their workstations.

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