‘They never came to help’: More victims of reckless garbage trucks speak out

More people reportedly injured by speeding garbage removal trucks in the Steve Tshwete municipality’s are coming forward.

It is alleged the trucks killed a three-year-old boy, injured a one-year-old boy and left a 35-year-old woman wheelchair-bound.

The Citizen tracked down the injured woman, Allenda Magaga, from Tokologo informal settlement in Middelburg, who is accusing the municipality of refusing to take responsibility for what its “reckless” driver did to her.

‘I am now unable to walk’

“It was on 27 November, when the incident happened and since then no one from the municipality has come to say sorry or to take care of some of my medical bills.

“I am now unable to walk because of their reckless driver and they don’t want to take responsibility. Doctors say my spinal cord has been damaged and I will no longer be able to walk again,” she said.

“My family and I wrote so many letters asking the municipality to assist with medical bills and other related things. They promised to visit us to discuss the matter, but they never did. Before the incident, I used to run a recycling business which enabled me to take care of my four children. The incident left me paralysed I need assistance to get up from bed.”

Trapped under trailer

Magaga said the incident happened at a dumping site where she was collecting material for recycling. She said they were standing several metres away from the truck that was offloading waste.

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She claimed the truck started moving back very fast and she tried, but failed, to escape and it hit her. She got trapped underneath the trailer.

“I heard people telling the driver to move forward a bit so that they could pull me out. I spent a few minutes trapped. The truck was being driven by a woman and her assistant was also a woman.

“She did not even come to check on me. I heard them saying they need to leave the area because they have a lot of work to do. That pained me because they spoke as if I was just a wild animal, not a human being,” said Magaga.

She is getting legal advice on how to hold the municipality accountable for her sufferings.

Son needs head specialist

Nonhlanhla Sibanyoni, 29, mother of Simanga Sibanyoni, who was also injured by one of the municipal garbage removal trucks in 2023, is also furious, accusing the municipality of failing to assist her with medical bills.

Sibanyoni said after the accident the doctors said Simanga was injured on the head and should be taken to specialist doctors to assess him further and advise on what kind of medication he should take to make sure that he does not experience problems in the future.

Municipal manager Mandla Mnguni had not responded to questions by the time of going to press.

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