UPDATE: Pikitup promises weekend work as residents demand refuse backlogs be cleared
Pikitup has acknowledged recent disruptions, and says it will use weekend operations to clear accumulated waste and restore normal collection schedules.
Pikitup has responded to concerns raised by Fourways residents regarding ongoing refuse collection backlogs, following complaints that waste had not been collected for nearly two weeks in some areas.
Residents, including Fourways resident Peter Tuck, have questioned why they are expected to continue paying for refuse removal services that are not consistently delivered.
“The reality is that as citizens and residents, we have all paid the City of Johannesburg for this service. We’ve given them money.” He added that residents would not accept such conduct in a commercial setting.
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“If you want to give me R1 000 to do something, and then I just put it in my pocket and don’t give you what you paid me for, would you be happy with me?” He added that residents should either receive refunds or have the service delivered as promised.
In response, Pikitup spokesperson Anthony Selepe acknowledged that there were challenges in recent days that affected waste management services at some depots.
He said labour-related issues at the Marlboro, Midrand, and Randburg depots had been addressed, as indicated in a media statement issued by the department for environment and infrastructure services on January 28.
Selepe said backlog recovery plans have been implemented to clear accumulated waste and restore services to the normal collection schedule. “This will entail working during weekends, which is not the norm, to normalise waste collection in all affected areas.”
Also read: Farmall residents blame the city for collapsing roads and illegal dumping
Addressing concerns around accountability and continued billing, Selepe said Pikitup ensures that accumulated waste is collected once services resume, and that residents are not entitled to relief or rebates as recovery plans are in place to collect all waste that accumulated during the stoppage period.
He further emphasised that service interruptions are not acceptable at any given time, noting that waste collection is required to be rendered once a week in line with waste standards and the city’s service level agreement. “Interventions are devised immediately when interruptions occur to ensure their speedy resolution.”
The entity has since resumed operations on January 29.
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