The City of Ekurhuleni recommissioned eight waste compactor trucks on January 21 as part of the city manager’s Fixing the Frontline programme, a flagship initiative focused on restoring core service delivery capacity and strengthening municipal depots.

The recommissioning took place during a site visit to the Boksburg Waste Depot, led by the MMC for Environmental Resources and Waste Management, Clr Leshaka Manamela, and the city manager, Kagiso Lerutla, accompanied by members of the city’s senior management.

The programme aims to reduce over-reliance on contracted services, build internal operational capability, and ensure that municipal depots are adequately resourced to meet residents’ daily waste collection needs.

During engagements with frontline staff, Lerutla acknowledged operational challenges raised by employees, including the need for additional tools of trade, personal protective equipment (PPE), and the filling of critical vacant posts.

He committed to working with management to resolve these issues with urgency.

The eight recommissioned waste compactor trucks will be deployed across various depots in the city to improve response times, enhance accountability at the depot level, and stabilise refuse collection services.

This intervention underscores the Fixing the Frontline programme’s focus on repairing systems, capacitating municipal staff, and ensuring that essential services are delivered efficiently and sustainably to residents.