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Pikitup blames casual workers for ongoing waste collection backlog


Pikitup has blamed depot blockades by protesting casual workers for severe waste collection backlogs, resulting in frustrated Alexandra residents clearing piles of overflowing rubbish themselves.

Frustrated by weeks of uncollected rubbish, residents of Ward 107 in Alexandra rolled up their sleeves last week and took matters into their own hands, clearing overflowing piles of waste that they say had become a health hazard in their community.

The clean-up, led by Ward 107 councillor Floyd Ngwenya, who told Our City News that he organised the clean-up because the accumulation of waste had reached unacceptable levels and was posing serious health and environmental risks.

"As a councillor, my primary responsibility is to ensure that our communities remain safe, clean and dignified. While we continued engaging Pikitup regarding the delays, the accumulation of waste had reached unacceptable levels," he said.

Residents said uncollected refuse had attracted rats, flies and other pests, while foul odours had become part of daily life.

According to Ngwenya, Pikitup attributed the backlog to operational and labour-related challenges involving temporary workers.

"While we appreciate being informed of these challenges, residents ultimately expect a reliable refuse collection service, and it remains the City's responsibility to ensure that service delivery is not compromised," he said.

But after the one-day clean up, rubbish continued to pile up once again in the area as it went uncollected for days.

Pikitup confirmed that refuse collection had been disrupted in parts of Johannesburg because of ongoing protest action by casual workers employed by waste collection service providers, who are demanding to be absorbed by the entity.

The entity said the protests had resulted in the entrances to the Marlboro, Waterval, Roodepoort, Randburg, Orange Farm and Avalon depots being blocked, preventing refuse collection vehicles and permanent employees from leaving the depots to carry out scheduled collections.

In a statement, Pikitup stressed that its permanent employees were not on strike and remained available to work, but said the blockades had significantly hampered waste collection operations across affected areas.

The entity said it was engaging service providers, relevant stakeholders and law enforcement agencies to restore access to the depots. At the same time it was implementing operational measures to minimise disruptions and clear the growing backlog.

Pikitup apologised to affected residents for the inconvenience and appealed for patience while efforts to resolve the impasse continued. Residents were also encouraged to monitor the entity's official social media platforms for updates on refuse collection services.

The disruptions were not limited to Alexandra. On Monday, Ward 88 councillor Nicolene Jonker informed residents that refuse collection in her ward could once again be disrupted after the Waterval Depot was reportedly shut down because of the protest action.

In a message to residents, Jonker said she had been informed by the depot's area manager that the depot gates had been locked, preventing refuse collection vehicles from operating

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