Centurion struggles as slow progress made on service restoration

Frustrated residents in various parts of Centurion are battling the effects of the ongoing municipal workers’ strike.

Many have not had their refuse collected since the strike began. Some residents and unscrupulous businesses have resorted to dumping their refuse along the roads outside garden refuse sites.

Images taken on Wednesday morning show multiple vehicles illegally dumping trash in a desperate attempt to take matters into their own hands.

Despite several services being delayed or absent, some areas have seen slight improvement.

On Wednesday morning, ward 57 councillor David Farquharson told residents that the waste department was on schedule on Tuesday and part of Wednesday.

“In the case of Centurion, there are very few officials at work,” he explained.

“The result is huge backlogs and delays. We have been making use of private contractors and private funding to attend to repairs as was the case with the cable repairs during the weekend and restoration of power on Sunday morning.”

Farquharson revealed that only one metro official was attending to switching in the region.

“We have had the services of one official assisting with switching that has been working after hours with local security and local CPF support.”

On Monday, he said that this one official was not available due to medical reasons.

“City services including power, refuse collection and the repairs of water and sewerage leaks have been hampered by striking workers and intimidated work teams.”

The strike has caused the metro difficulties but the brunt of the suffering has been taken by residents.

Wierdapark Residents Association (WPRA) chairperson Liza Vorster said that apart from the frustration, the WPRA is concerned about health risks.

She said in her area sewerage leaks have been ongoing since the strike began while growing piles of trash lie across her neighbourhood.

“People are now paying private individuals to remove their waste and Wierdapark Residents Association is very concerned about this,” she told Rekord.

“Not everyone has the financial means to fork out these fees in addition to fees paid on their Tshwane account.”

She said that private individuals give no guarantee that they are dumping at the correct waste and landfill sites.

“[They are] making the situation worse by dumping at illegal places such as Rooihuiskraal garden dumpsite.

“We wrote twice to engage the city on this problem. Residents will gladly help out but we need the city to meet us halfway.”

Ward 70 councillor Marika Kruger-Muller said, “I have sewerage running at various places in my ward, and many water leaks at several points.”

She said that she is aware of the various leaks and has a running list.

All the cases she has been made aware of have been reported and Kruger-Muller said that she has been following them closely.

“No one from water and sanitation is working at the moment, there is no one to respond.”

Kruger-Muller said that the issue of refuse collection is another headache for residents as trash is piling up.

However, she said that limited waste collection teams have begun in various parts of Centurion.

Responding to illegal dumping across the region, Kruger-Muller urged residents to consider the problems the city is facing.

“I understand residents are frustrated and they want to get rid of their rubbish,” Kruger-Muller told Rekord.

“The problem the city is facing is a financial one. Illegal dumping will have further impacts on the city’s financial situation to clear the trash up.”

Kruger-Muller urged residents to assist the city where they were able.

“While services are being impacted, the situation will not be helped by further financial strain,” she said.

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