Pikitup slams DA’s claims of management absence
Utility says Randburg depot managers were on duty as waste services normalise.
Pikitup has rejected claims by the Democratic Alliance (DA) that management was absent from the Randburg depot during the party’s protest, and confirmed that waste collection has been normalised since last week.
The protest was recently led by DA’s Joburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille, alongside local ward councillors, who demanded accountability at the depot. The crowd gathered at the entrance before moving inside. Zille raised concerns about the absence of management at the facility, saying protesters found no officials on site.
Read more: Pikitup delays frustrate residents
According to Zille, the only person present was the receptionist, who was “sitting with a pile of complaints and phoning residents to explain how they will solve those issues.”
However, Pikitup spokesperson Anthony Selepe disputed this, saying depot management was at work, with some managers on site inspecting operations to provide residents with accurate updates on waste collection progress.
“It should be noted that depot management communicates with councillors daily regarding waste collection disruptions and continuously provides updates on the progress made in addressing backlogs. Councillors, in turn, communicate these updates to residents and keep them informed about waste collection issues,” Selepe said.
He added that Pikitup had implemented its waste collection recovery plan, which included weekend operations, and that most depots had since normalised services. “The Randburg depot normalised its waste collection weeks back,” Selepe said.
Also read: Landfill closure disrupts Pikitup schedule
“The disruption to Pikitup’s waste collection was occasioned by the protest demonstration by casual workers demanding permanent employment.
The inconsistency in waste collection was also negatively affected by the citywide protest action by members of the South African Municipal Workers’ Union.”
Selepe stressed that the entity has no staff or equipment shortages.
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