Burglaries dent waste business

Crime does not discriminate and even affects the waste collection and recycling sector.

Two such non-profit organisations, Mveledzo Waste and Lesedi Manufacturing Primary Co-operative on 10th Avenue and 2nd Street Marlboro respectively, have been robbed several times since February, and items including kitchen utensils, car batteries, computers, piping and electric cables were stolen. This, despite the nature of their business which is waste, and high security walls. The incidents stopped their operations temporarily and affected their income.

The organisations are community employment generating initiatives dealing with recyclable material such as waste paper, plastic, bottles, and class collected from the hotel industry, government departments and shops.

Also, they are a source of income for trolley pushers who help clean the streets of recyclable material. The organisations are assisted by Pikitup which supplies them with plastic bags to reduce their operating costs, but the regularity of the burglaries dent their income margins and threaten the few jobs they have created. Mveledzo has 12 employees and the co-operative is operated by six staff.

Lizzy Sithole of Mveledzo said they had been robbed on a regular basis. She added that the employees were paid from the organisation’s earnings, but with having to pay for the replacement of stolen items, it was difficult to pay staff.

Sithole said their guard dogs were killed during the burglaries and they could not afford to hire private security. Mveledzo’s financial woes were worsened by the theft of truck batteries. This forced them to hire transport which at times caused delays, resulting in them losing some of their lucrative waste collection contracts.

Zoleka Ntshololo of the co-operative said the burglars shot their guard dog which had to be put down by the SPCA. She added that they also could not afford private security or a high-tech security system.

There have been no arrests in connection with the burglaries.