Metro struggles with refuse collection due to budget constraints

Budget constraints are behind the Tshwane metro struggling to empty rubbish bins, a spokesperson has confirmed.

Lindela Mashigo said at the beginning of the year the waste department decided to reduce the number of trucks to reduce spending.

He said these cuts resulted in the over-stretching of the collection schedule in areas with trucks.

“This also made collection times overlap a bit in some areas with more households. However, at the end of the day, the household bins were collected as per schedule,” Mashigo added.

BINS BEING STOLEN

Groenkloof resident Mariah De Swart told Rekord that the municipality had not been collecting refuse for some time and she had reported the matter – to no avail.

“Our bins are being stolen because we leave them in the street with the hope that one day the metro will empty them.

“One would be so fortunate to find their wheelie bin, as the situation has led to them being stolen,” De Swart said.

However, Mashigo said the metro was not aware the metro did not collect waste bins.

“All reported missed collection of bins, which are usually isolated incidents, are corrected within 24 hours of occurrence as per our standard.

“On a very rare occasion where bin collection challenges would occur affecting a bigger area, a backlog is declared and communicated widely and the same would be cleared within 48 hours,” he emphasised.

NOT REPORTING EMPTY BINS

Mashigo said the allegation that the metro was not emptying bins for such a large part of the city had not been reported.

On the question of procedures, the residents should follow when their wheelie bin has been stolen he said in such an incident residents were required to submit an application for bin replacement accompanied by an affidavit explaining the reason for replacement.

“The residents are encouraged to apply for bin replacement, the application must be accompanied by an affidavit explaining the reason for replacement.

If there are residents who are struggling to get their bins replaced as per the application, they are advised to go to the nearest customer care centre in the region,” he said.

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