The Ekurhuleni mayor sympathised with the families of two employees who were killed when a waste removal truck overturned on October 29.
Nine people were on the Ekurhuleni refuse removal truck when it overturned on Soutpansberg Drive in Van Riebeeck Park.
On November 2 the City of Ekurhuleni’s executive mayor, Clr Mzwandile Masina, visited three of the surviving men.
“The municipality gives us a platform to be a family and work together as a team. That is why it is so important for me to show my respect and empathy towards the families who have lost a brother, son or husband, and to those who have survived this accident,” said Clr Masina.
Clr Masina visited to support Mr Thembekile James, who is in the high care centre in Arwyp Hospital in Kempton Park.
Thereafter he met two employees at a Kempton Park waste management centre in Spartan and subsequently moved on to Tembisa, to the family of a deceased employee who died following the accident.
Clr Masina wished the surviving employees a speedy recovery and told them to take time off and rest.
In Tembisa the mayor gave the Mdladla family a donation from his office.
He described the accident as “terrible” and he sent a team led by the MMC of Environment and Waste Management Services to assist the Mdladla family.
He said the investigation is on-going and there is no official report on the cause of the accident yet.
The mayor said once the investigation is completed and the report is available, only then can action be taken.
“We will wait for law enforcement agencies,” said the mayor.
He said the municipality has insurance for its employees.
The father of the deceased, Mr Joel Mdladla, said it difficult for the family.
“We were expecting more from him. He wanted to study further,” said Mr Mdladla.
He said the family is grateful because the municipality is paying for the funeral.