The Tshwane metro has moved to clear up confusion over its ‘no permit, no entry’ policy at garden refuse sites, following several complaints from residents who said they were unfairly turned away or asked for bribes by site attendants.

According to metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo, the rule does not apply to all residents.

“The ‘no permit, no entry’ rule applies to vehicles or trailers with a carrying capacity of 1 ton or more,” Mashigo said.

“Residents using vehicles under 1 ton and visiting the site once a week or less do not need a permit.”

He explained that some vehicles below 1 ton may still require a permit if they visit the site frequently for garden service business purposes or if the waste volumes are excessive.

Mashigo added that the policy has not changed since its 2023 introduction, and the metro continues to monitor compliance to prevent misuse.

“Soliciting bribes from clients is strictly prohibited and regarded as a serious offence,” he said.

“Customers are encouraged to report any incidents of bribery or misconduct, providing the names of staff involved and, if possible, photographic evidence.”

Residents can report suspected fraud, corruption, or misconduct through the city’s Anti-Fraud and Corruption Hotline at 080 874 9263 or via email at fraud@tshwane.gov.za.

However, some residents have raised frustrations about the policy’s implementation.

Ward 82 councillor Siobhan Muller said residents in Brooklyn and Menlo Park have been struggling to access the Menlo Park garden refuse site despite following the rules.

“A resident has been trying to dump garden refuse for the past month at the Menlo Park site, but there is a gentleman who denies them access and asks for something every time,” said Muller.

“Their house looks like a dump site, as they have garden refuse gathering up due to this individual who is denying them access.”

Muller said the resident in question uses a private Mahindra bakkie to drop off waste from four houses and is not a garden service business.

“They don’t need a permit in this case,” Muller said. “What’s happening is some attendants are asking for payment to let people through, which is pure corruption.”

She said she plans to raise the issue with the MMC for Environmental and Waste Management, Obakeng Ramabodu. She has also called for stronger oversight.

“Corruption is deep since the ANC took over. Council workers even took 20 wheelie bins of garden waste from a rental property as household waste. This is unacceptable,” Muller said.

“Contractors are also destroying bins, and it has to stop.”

Mashigo reiterated that the metro has not received formal complaints of bribery but encouraged residents to report cases for investigation.

“We appreciate residents who comply with the rules, as they help ensure fairness and order at all sites,” he said.

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