Rabie Ridge Residents Association vow to remove Midrand’s Pikitup depot
Charles Jones claimed they were not pleased with the criteria used by Pikitup which seeks to overlook unemployed Rabie Ridge community members and youth.
If words are anything to go by, the Rabie Ridge Residents Association chairperson Charles Jones vows they will ‘remove’ Pikitup’s Midrand depot in their area.
This is if the waste collection utility did not employ some of the area’s unemployed youth.
Jones said this during a protest held outside the depot’s gate on Stilt Avenue in Rabie Ridge on July 1.
About 90 members of the association burnt tyres, debris and dustbins outside the depot’s offices. They demanded that the youth be employed as some were turning to drugs and there had been an increase in crime.
“We cannot have a depot here in Rabie Ridge without the community benefitting from it. As the community, we want to put it on record that we are unpleased with the criteria used by Pikitup which seeks to overlook our people,” lamented Jones.
“Youth unemployment is about 95% in the area and as a result, they engage in drugs and other activities. We warned Pikitup Midrand depot management that we would close down this depot after sending us from pillar to post despite having meetings with them.”
He said the peaceful protest would continue for three days, and should their demands not be met, then the protest would turn ugly and they would shut down the depot.
In response, Pikitup spokesperson Muzi Mkhwanazi said, “They are demanding employment [for the local youth]. Management will engage them to try to resolve the matter and ensure that waste collection to residents in the area is not affected.”
The waste in parts of Rabie Ridge, Ebony Park, Kaalfontein, Ivory Park and President Park was not collected.
Related article: Watch: Rabie Ridge residents block Pikitup Midrand depot
