Chaos erupts in Mamelodi West as mob attacks Tshwane personnel

Chaos erupted in Mamelodi West as a mob of angry protesters, identifying themselves as former Tshwane metro waste management service providers, unleashed a trail of destruction at the Mini Munitoria Customer Care Centre on August 6.

The mob stormed the call centre, shattering windows with bricks seemingly over being excluded from a recently awarded tender.

The group’s violent outburst sent shockwaves through workers, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. It is reported that the group also harassed and threatened staff.

Record is unsure which tender had angered the group but it seemed related to waste removal operations in the metro.

Tshwane metro spokesperson, Lindela Mashigo, confirmed that the angry group of men harassed and threatened personnel, claiming to be excluded from a recently awarded tender.

“Counselling has been arranged for the traumatised personnel,” said Mashigo.

“This barbaric behaviour is an indication of people who elect to use violence to get what they want,” he said.

The metro hopes community members will identify the culprits and that police will act swiftly by throwing the book at them.

Mashigo added such despicable behaviour is unacceptable in a democratic dispensation.

“We embarked on a fair, open, and transparent tender process for waste management, and if anyone has issues with this process, they’re welcome to utilise available platforms to ventilate their grievances,” he said.

“Threats, violence, and destruction of municipal property will not deter us, nor will we back down from pursuing procurement processes aimed at enhancing and improving services to our law-abiding customers who shun the use of violence and brute force.”

Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) spokesperson, Mishack Magakwe, said his department has temporarily suspended service at the Mamelodi Labour Centre due to recent violent protests in the area.

He said this decision prioritises the safety and security of employees, clients, and the general public.

“The indefinite closure of the office is a direct result of the actions of protesters, which significantly impacts the assistance the DEL provides,” said Magakwe.

He said such actions undermine the fundamental principles of democracy, particularly the freedom of movement.

“The DEL advises its clients to utilise its online services on www.labour.gov.za or visit the nearest labour centre for assistance.

The department urges Mamelodi residents to resist any attempts to deprive them of these essential services.

It said it remains committed to serving its clients and acknowledges the challenges they face.

While the right to protest is respected, it should not infringe on the rights of others.

“No individual should be coerced or threatened into joining protests,” said Magakwe.

He further said the department strongly condemns the actions that led to the closure of the office.

In their recent statement, the metro said it is determined to forge ahead with uncompromisingly stringent refuse removal contract specifications, despite being at loggerheads with the now-former subcontractors.

Metro spokesperson Selby Bokaba said the dispute between the metro and former subcontractors started when Tshwane introduced a catch-up plan for household waste collection following collection disruptions with the appointment of new service providers on July 15.

He said the unwavering stance by the metro, while intended to enforce high standards of refuse collection, brought them to a disagreement with subcontractors.

“This set the stage for a tense standoff that would put the very quality of waste management services on the line.”

Bokaba said in the aftermath of the uproar caused by the awarding of a waste management tender last week, the city wishes to make it clear it will not relax the tightened specification for the refuse removal contract.

“The metro implemented the SS01 waste removal contract with effect from July 15, after the tender had been approved by the Bid Adjudication Committee (BAC).

“Tshwane reviewed and tightened the specifications this time round to improve the efficiency of the service, based on the lessons learned from previous tenders awarded.”

The specifications included the following new conditions:

– E-Natis valid certificate to verify the roadworthiness of the vehicle, to present the vehicle on-site, and to ensure that the vehicle certificate is not fraudulent.

– Installation of a tracking device to verify that the allocated routes have been travelled.

– The vehicle should not be older than nine years to prevent the frequent breakdown of an old vehicle and to minimise the wear and tear of the compaction mechanism.

The specifications will also apply to the subcontractors.

“Tshwane benchmarked with other metros in Gauteng when considering the refuse removal specifications and discovered that Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg required vehicles not to be older than three years and five years, respectively.”

The metro added the following requirements in the specification in respect of subcontracting:

– The service provider may not subcontract the whole or any portion of the service without the prior consent of the metro.

– If the service provider wishes to subcontract, it should apply in writing to the city for consent. In its application, the service provider shall furnish the name of the subcontractor, the subcontractor’s obligations, including fees payable and a security background check, as well as their financial status.

– The city may, in its sole and absolute discretion, refuse consent to subcontract.

– The service provider shall ensure that the subcontractor’s B-BBEE level is equal to or better than that of the service provider, their price is competitive, and they can provide the service.

– Such subcontracting shall not absolve the service provider from responsibility for achieving the service levels or complying with its obligations.

– The service provider shall always remain the sole point of contact for the city with respect to the acquisition of services by the city; and

– No such subcontracting shall have any effect on the contract price and charges payable by the city to the service provider in terms of the agreement.

Bokaba said given the abovementioned control measures, the relevant department requested the appointed service providers to avail information in preparation for the final deployment of the required vehicles.

“Some of the service providers were unable to provide the required documents, while others managed to do so. However, in certain instances, some of the service providers did not comply with the required specifications.”

He said on the first day of deployment, vehicles were inspected, and only qualifying ones were allowed to operate.

Bokaba said many of the subcontractors were not willing to adhere to the subcontracting conditions and instead, opted to block some of the landfill sites and escalated the level of intimidation.

“To respond to this, Tshwane vowed to adopt a no-nonsense approach and clamp down harshly on criminal elements who are targeting waste collection trucks.”

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WATCH VIDEO: A mob of angry protesters, identifying themselves as former Tshwane metro waste management service providers, unleash a trail of destruction at the Mamelodi West Customer Care Centre. [Video contains explicit language]

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