The Tshwane metro has urged anyone asked to pay a bribe for refuse collection to submit a complaint immediately.

The municipality said it is investigating allegations that some refuse collection workers have solicited bribes during collection rounds, and that the complaints relate to individuals employed by external companies contracted by the city.

Ward 47 councillor Lida Erasmus raised concerns about missed collections, damaged municipal bins and reports that refuse workers demand payment before lifting bins.

“I have had several complaints that streets were not serviced at scheduled times and that residents had to put their bins out for two or three days in a row so that the teams could catch up,” she said.

Erasmus added that some households allegedly pay repeatedly to have their bins collected, while those who refuse are left without service.

She also criticised the handling of bins, saying some teams lift three bins at once using equipment designed for two, causing severe damage. Damaged bins then require residents to report the fault and apply for replacements, a process that can take months.

“This also inconveniences residents who have to report the damage and then apply for new bins,” she said.

Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo confirmed the city has received bribery allegations and that the complaints involve staff of service providers contracted to collect waste. He said the matters will be escalated to the management of the companies involved for internal investigation and disciplinary action.

Mashigo acknowledged that collections may occasionally be missed or delayed, but said affected areas are normally serviced within 48 hours. Common causes of delays, he said, include adverse weather, mechanical breakdowns and community unrest along routes to landfill sites.

He added that waste teams are trained and monitored and that waste management inspectors oversee collections to ensure correct use of equipment.

Nevertheless, the city has received 420 complaints about damaged refuse bins in the past three months.

“If the damage was due to negligence by the contracted worker, then the service provider bears the costs,” Mashigo said. The average turnaround time for replacing damaged bins is about 14 days, provided residents report the damage and complete an application.

Residents can apply for replacement bins by completing a waste-bin application form and submitting it by email to wastemanagement@tshwane.gov.za or at a municipal customer care centre.

Mashigo said the city is assessing the financial cost of bin replacements caused by operational damage.

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