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Pikitup strike: No end in sight as ActionSA demands apology from mayor over remarks
ActionSA threatens legal action against Joburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda if he does not publicly apologise for saying they sponsored the strike.
Garbage piles at the corner of Albertina Sisulu Road and Von Wielligh Street in Johannesburg, 22 May, 2024, during a strike by contract workers demanding answers on unfilled permanent positions. Workers have been employed in the City of Johannesburg’ s waste management company for five and 10 years and were overlooked for the positions. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/ The Citizen
A Pikitup strike that has left parts of Joburg CBD looking like a rubbish heap after waste collection was brought to a standstill last week will continue for the foreseeable future, a representative said on Thursday.
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This while ActionSA hit back at mayor Kabelo Gwamanda’s accusation that its members had “directly influenced and sponsored the disruption of services to nearly a million residences and businesses across the city”.
Retract the allegations
A statement from ActionSA’s Joburg Caucus on Thursday afternoon welcomed an independent investigation against Pikitup officials about the advertising of posts.
“These are the officials who have been fingered for rigging employment processes, cadre deployment, and nepotism,” ActionSA said.
“As ActionSA, we are exonerated by this deliberation; this clearly reaffirms our position in the Pikitup saga. It was our conviction that this matter be investigated; the culprits must face the full might of the law.
“We took a stance to support Pikitup casual workers after they reached out to us. This came after being ignored by the arrogant ANC/EFF Coalition of Doom and the puppet mayor.
“The ANC/EFF Coalition of Doom has no appetite for addressing any issue that involves workers, they continue to mistreat them.”
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The party said it would continue to advocate for the rights of the downtrodden, but it does not condone vandalism or the infringement of the rights of either workers or residents.
“Instead of addressing the workers plight, this uncaring administration under the arrogant ANC puppet Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda resorted to litigation and name-calling…
“We demand a public apology from the Executive Mayor within two working days, and if he fails to do so, ActionSA will take drastic legal action against him in his personal capacity.
‘No end in sight’
Speaking to SABC News, worker representative Enos Maake said there was no end in sight to the strike, but the posting of jobs next week may bring them a step closer to a resolution.
“We are just waiting to see if maybe next week the advert [for job posts] will be out, and we will assist those people to apply,” he said, adding that many he knew who were turned down for posts “exceeded the requirements” that were listed in job descriptions.
He discussed irregularities in appointments, saying he could name officials “close to ward councillors” who were guilty.
“Those who have worked here for many years are being overlooked,” he said, while alleging friends and family of officials were awarded posts without any interviews being done.
