A marauding group brought municipal services and operations to a standstill in Umlazi, south of Durban, on Wednesday.

eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede condemned the disruption, saying it was not only uncalled for but also illegal.

Gumede said, "This morning ... a group of individuals disrupted various municipal operations and services beginning at the Umlazi Parks Depot before moving to the Sizakala office at KwaMnyandu mall.

"Staff and customers were locked out of the office. The KwaMnyandu mall security was the first to respond."

Mayoral spokesperson Mthunzi Gumede told SowetanLIVE: "There seem to be efforts to disrupt services in Umlazi these days. We believe this is aimed at sabotaging service delivery."

The city called on police to "act swiftly".

"This behaviour is completely uncalled for and illegal. We will ensure that we do everything within our means to put an end to this disruption.

"All security and police personnel have been deployed to all municipal offices and depots within the region to curb any further disruptions and ensure the safety of our staff and customers," said Gumede.