DA adds to call for Nair to go
The five-week strike has left the city an unpleasant sight as Pikitup workers are refusing to go back to work.
An urgent special council meeting was convened on April 6 as the consequences of the Pikitup strike worsened.
In a statement issued on the same day, the Democratic Alliance Johannesburg caucus leader, Clr Vasco da Gama, accused the executive mayor, Clr Parks Tau, of failing to address the strike by not suspending Pikitup managing director Ms Amanda Nair.
“The DA presented a strong case against her at the urgent, extraordinary city council meeting. The mayor rejected a call by the DA, and the minority parties in council, for a truly independent inquiry into allegations against Ms Nair. Instead, he gave weak reasons for not acting against her and offered no new insights to help councillors and residents to deal with the strike,” said Clr da Gama.
He said the five-week strike has left the city an unpleasant sight as Pikitup workers are refusing to go back to work.
The strike has raised health concerns amid mounting piles of rotting garbage.
Accusations against Ms Nair included corruption, nepotism and racism.
“Ms Nair is accused of appointing friends to Pikitup positions, such as her domestic worker’s son being granted an internship. While interns are typically paid about R2 000 a month, he was paid R9 500. He was allegedly the only intern given a permanent appointment without being interviewed,” said Clr Da Gama.
According to the DA, there is evidence that Ms Nair failed to comply with other recruitment and promotion procedures.
“Senior positions have been filled without any interview process being followed. In addition, consultants have been loaded on the Pikitup system, so that they receive employee benefits and are provided with tools of the trade at Pikitup’s expense. Furthermore, tender irregularities are also alleged,” said Clr Da Gama.
The DA further accused the CoJ and the Pikitup board of not taking appropriate action against Ms Nair, who allegedly used cellular phones and tablets for her family and personal use.
Clr Da Gama said the city’s corporate investigations unit recommended that disciplinary action be instituted against the general manager of infrastructure enterprise for “unofficially issuing cellular phones and a tablet to Ms Nair without permission”.
It recommended that a case of theft be opened against him and the general manager was dismissed.
“Ms Nair, who allegedly gave one of the cellular phones to one of MMC Matshidiso Mfikoe’s children as a birthday present, was required to refund the city the value of the items.”
Clr Da Gama said the corporate investigations unit did not interview Ms Nair and MMC Mfikoe regarding the allegations made against them by the general manager of infrastructure enterprise,
He said Ms Nair re-employed the same general manager.
“This leaves the city with a compromised Pikitup MD, a compromised board chair and a compromised political head, MMC Mfikoe,” said Clr Da Gama.
The DA stated that the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) has not “simply made bland allegations”.
“The allegations are detailed. In law, they are sufficient to warrant the immediate suspension of Ms Nair. There must be an inquiry, not by those who are compromised, but by independent persons,” said Clr Da Gama.
“The council came to a decision that the city needs to go back to the negotiation table and a contingency plan must be developed for the future to source private companies who can handle the situation before it spreads out of control. We have requested that whenever the city asks residents to assist in the clean-up, to supply residents with refuse bags and also to have enough truck drivers who will go at least twice a day to collect the rubbish at the dumping points,” said Clr Da Gama.
A meeting was held on April 7 by Pikitup with the relevant stakeholders to discuss how they can assist residents in refuse collection and to allocate dropping points where residents can drop off rubbish.
Meanwhile, the Raymond Mhlaba Branch engaged in a clean-up in Derrick Avenue, Cyrildene, on April 1.
They successfully removed all the refuse that had gathered along Derrick Avenue.
The EXPRESS requested comment from the City of Johannesburg’s communications specialist, Nkosinathi Nkabinde; Pikitup spokesperson Jacky Mashupu; Anda Mbikwena from the office of the MMC for the City of Johannesburg Environment and Infrastructure and MMC Matshidiso Mfikoe.
The EXPRESS sent a request for comment on April 7 with a request for comment by 2pm.
At time of going to print, no comment had been received.
