After another week of refuse removal workers playing a cat and mouse game with residents, The City of Ekurhuleni seems to be back on track resolving the issues.
In a brief statement issued on Monday, Themba Gadebe, spokesperson for the metro, announced a change in the refuse removal schedule as the city “finds a new strategy to deal with waste removal backlogs”.
According to him March 5 will mark the reconfiguration of service points in all Kempton Park suburbs.
“This means an introduction of a process to cluster the number of households in close proximity to be serviced per day, which enables concentrated equal service areas per working team. The new system will allow officials to work smarter and equipped with adequate resources. Teams will be divided appropriately to the service areas,” said Gadebe.
For example, the following suburbs will be clustered together to be serviced on Mondays:
• Glen Marais, Kempton Park Highveld Road to Glen Marais;
• Northern side: Aston Manor, Glen Erasmia, Nimrod Park, Zuurfontein 33-IR, Rietfontein 32-IR, Allen Grove, Witfontein 15-IR, Birchleigh AH, Witkoppie 64-IR, Kempton Park AH and Witfontein.
More areas will be clustered together to be serviced on specific days.
Waste Removal Calendar 2018 – KEMPTON PARK
Furthermore, March 5 will also signal the beginning of the strict use of the 240? wheeliebin system to ensure effective cleanliness in the area.
Residents are invited to engage with the MMC for environment and waste management services, Clr Ndosi Shongwe, on the new developments on Saturday at 11am at Kempton Park Civic Centre.
However, before all these new developments residents were at their wits end last week, not knowing what to put out – black bags or wheelie bins.
In some suburbs only black bags were taken while wheelie bins were not serviced. In other suburbs it was the opposite.
Certain wards starting to look like rubbish dumps as thousands of refuse bags lined the streets.
In ward 15 volunteers organised a clean-up operation where thousand of bags were picked up in Birchleigh and Van Riebeeck Park.
Residents took to social media to vent their anger at the lack of service delivery provided by the metro.
Hannelie Roux: “Why did we not receive wheelie bins as was reported in Kempton Express in November last year in Esther Park? We never know when the black bags will be collected. It is almost never on a Friday as scheduled!”
Linda Calitz: “Jip hier by ons is al die swartsakke nog op ons pavement hulle het niks gelaai nie. Ons betaal vir die verwyderings.”
Kerri-Anne Garcia: “Our[s] gets picked up on Mondays and no issues we put out wheelie bins. The only time was between Christmas and new year. We stay in Aston Manor.”
Derek Weldhagen: “The whole problem is, these workers are too bloody lazy to do their jobs properly…”
William Millar: “Yesterday morning Linate Crescent Bonaero Park had only their wheelie bins emptied, BUT about 6:30pm a refuse truck removed the bags that were left on the pavement.”
Charlotte Da Silva: “All this country wants is money and no service. I think the people of South Africa all should stop paying for these services and then you will see what the government will do.”
Jo-anne van Loggerenberg: “In Terenure is net ‘n paar huise se bins skoongemaak. Die res staan nog?”
Glenda Marlow Gardiner: “Last week my bags were not collected because they were IN the bin. I took them out and put them on a pavement … now I hear we must put them back in the bin and now I have double the bags as well. What are we supposed to do?”
Cheryl Thomson Turner: “Fire the lot of them and employ people who want to work. It’s a bloody circus. We have to pay for a service which we don’t get and they expect a salary at the end of the month.”
John De Villiers: “Pathetic 2 weeks the bags/bins have been on the pavement.”
Swart Varkie: “I will collect and drop off all the refuse at the mayor’s office. I’m tired!”
Tania Cloete: “PATHETIC! Our bin went out as per normal, black bags inside the bin … they usually lift the bin lid and remove the bag by hand. NOT THIS WEEK… They skipped all bins in our area!!!!!! Confuse the crap out of paying citizens, stealing our money!!!! Next week my bin will be too small to carry two weeks refuse, what then?”
Tania Cloete: “Here is actually a business opportunity for someone. Why can’t we privatise the removal of refuse and stop paying the municipality for services not rendered?”
Dinay Jansen: “I am very confused. How many days per week do we have to put our wheelie bins outside? Our current schedule in Norkem Park is on Wednesday. No collection took place. Today, Thursday, the truck arrived, with no warning of the late collection, and drove by at a very high speed. There is no commitment from Ekurhuleni to ensure that they do arrive on the scheduled days.”
