A large number of vacancies in the waste department, plus the absence of a head of department, were two of the reasons why waste removal fell apart in Ekurhuleni the past few weeks.
This is according to Alderman André du Plessis, DA spokesperson for environment and waste management in Ekurhuleni.
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“The DA in Ekurhuleni is holding the Member of Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Environment and Waste Management, Clr Ndosi Shongwe, personally liable for the disastrous roll-out of the wheelie bins across Ekurhuleni,” du Plessis said in a statement.
“The poor communication by the City of Ekurhuleni regarding the roll-out of the new bins has resulted in residents unable to have their household refuse collected due to not having the new bins, plus a shortage of bins at collection depots.
“DA councillors have been inundated with complaints from residents who shared their frustration at the poor planning and inability of the metro to roll-out the bins. In addition to a shortage of bins, the waste trucks have not been adequately modified to accommodate the new bins, hence unable to collect the refuse,” du Plessis added.
He said Ekurhuleni lagged behind with the implementation of national legislation which requires municipalities to have rubbish containers to help with rodent control and a variety of other measures.
“Incidentally, the poor roll-out of the bins has meant that rubbish in plastic bags haven’t been collected and communities have seen an increase in rodent infestation. A host of issues has plagued the waste department which has massively affected service delivery throughout Ekurhuleni.
“The metro has the budget but the lack of leadership has left residents irate and DA councillors trying to resolve a badly planned mess. The DA councillors will endeavour to keep residents informed and continue to apply pressure to the MMC and her department to improve service delivery in this regard.
“There is a budget available to effectively roll-out this programme and ensure effective management of it. We call on the MMC to resign following a failure of events by her oversight and her lack of leadership when the people of Ekurhuleni needed it the most.”
