UPDATE: Refuse removal saga drags on
“Further information will be communicated via ward councillors’ WhatsApp groups.”
The five-week refuse removal backlog is set to continue with MMC for Environmental Resource and Waste Management André du Plessis stating that the CoE’s in-house trucks are being sabotaged, daily.
In a statement circulating on various service delivery WhatsApp groups on August 11, du Plessis states that there are not enough refuse trucks available throughout the entire metro.
“The backlog is not only affecting Benoni and Boksburg although these areas are the hardest hit,” he said.
“The fact is that 60% of our vehicles have been standing at contracted workshops since last year due to the coalition inheriting a depleted budget.
“This meant that routine maintenance on the fleet could not be done until the revised working budget came into effect in July and that previously contracted work has not been paid for thus, resulting in vehicles not being released to the metro.”
He continued by saying that areas throughout the metro that are still receiving weekly collection are due to these services being rendered by contractors, which are limited to working within allocated areas.
“These vehicles cannot simply be rerouted to other areas unless it is revised within their contract,” said du Plessis.
“We are busy with this process to get more trucks into problem areas and we hope that this will be finalised by the end of the month.”
Former alderman Benno Robinson of Farrarmere weighed in on the matter in a voice note, claiming that situations such as these are carefully orchestrated acts of sabotage in order to taint the coalition’s reputation.
“I know of 27 trucks that are standing at the municipal garage of which only five can be repaired, the rest have been stripped beyond repair,” he claimed.
“Our leadership and councillors are working tirelessly to find solutions for this ongoing crisis and I urge residents to not become disillusioned by what is happening. Rather support them in their efforts.”
Du Plessis said that all processes to ensure a speedy return to normal service is being expedited.
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