Fury after Pikitup staff solicit bribes, steal bins

Furious residents are demanding Pikitup takes swift action against staff caught soliciting bribes and stealing and damaging bins.

Kensington resident, Ms Lee Cahill, and a Cyrildene resident who did not want his name published, recently voiced their frustration at workers who demand money to remove refuse.

The Cyrildene resident said he witnessed the solicitation of a bribe by a Pikitup staff member in January.

“The man went from house to house in Cooper Street where there was additional refuse, outside of the bins, asking for an additional R100 to gather the refuse for removal. He threatened that if the bribe was not paid the additional refuse would not be removed. Some of these events were captured on CCTV,” he said.

He reported the incident to Pikitup officials on the day but did not receive a response.

“I questioned officials and only weeks later I was asked for the footage. Pikitup officials were apparently unable to view the footage and asked that it be submitted on a CD,” said the man.

An official was due to pick up the CD after the EXPRESS went to print last week.

The man said this was not the first time Pikitup staff tried to solicit bribes in the area. “They have asked me for bribes before. I am tired of the attitude of Pikitup staff, the bribery and also the lack of action taken by officials.

“A few years ago, a Pikitup worker stole my bin. I had footage of the incident. I reported this to Pikitup and opened a case. I was called in for a meeting and the man denied that he stole the bin. Nothing was done to him despite the proof submitted. I had to fight for a bin and eventually I received a second hand one,” he said.

Ms Cahill was outraged after Pikitup’s actions on a post she shared on Facebook.

Ms Cahill said she shared another resident’s video footage earlier in February, of Pikitup staff stealing bins, on Pikitup’s Facebook page and it was removed. She said she was also banned from the page because she, a resident who pays for Pikitup’s services, complained about workers stealing bins and asking for bribes to empty replacement bins purchased. “That is city government in Johannesburg for you. Avoid the issue, ignore the complainant and, when that does not work, block them.

“My municipal wheelie-bin was stolen in December. It took me two weeks to get through to the city’s ‘helpline’ to report this and to request a replacement. I was advised to go in to the Braamfontein service centre and pay R475 in cash before I could receive a new bin. As I am self-employed and cannot afford to sit for hours in a line just to pay for a new bin, I bought a replacement bin with a valid serial number,” she said.

She added that Pikitup workers wanted a bribe to empty the bin because it was not the company’s bin.

She added that her neighbour also had footage of Pikitup workers stealing bins and that if she ever has footage, she will be the first to post it on You Tube.

Ms Pansy Oyedele, the communications manager for Pikitup, said the Cyrildene resident’s allegation of bribery is being investigated. A report on his complaint was due to be provided to the department last Friday, after the EXPRESS went to print.

Speaking about the theft of bins, Ms Oyedele said the entity condemns stealing by its employees.

“This is a criminal offence and is contrary to the kind of service we are striving to deliver for residents of Johannesburg. Anyone found guilty of stealing will face strong internal disciplinary action, followed by criminal charges. We encourage anyone with proof on other cases of theft by our employees to contact our call centre. It is also important to note that when residents want to report any indiscretion on our part, they should take note of the truck’s number plate that services them on the day, the date and time, so we can better manage the complaints to their respective resolution,” she said.

She added that Pikitup is aware of issues with regards to bin replacements for residents. “These concerns are being addressed. Residents of the city are advised that should there be evidence in any situation relating to the damaging of a bin, by our staff, Pikitup will use existing measures to ascertain whether the damage has been caused by its compactor lifters or our staff. The same principle would apply to stolen bins, to confirm the validity of any claim. Should these claims prove true, a replacement bin will be issued to a resident free of charge,” she said.

She said Pikitup implemented its transformation strategy to improve the organisation a year ago and part of the process was to “bring staff along on this journey”.

“Even though it has not been easy, we are making progress in turning the organisation around. We thank residents for the continued support and patience,” she said.

She said residents should rest assured that Pikitup is on the road to being a service provider people can be proud of.

Log all queries to the Joburg Connect contact centre on 011 375-5555 or 0860 562874. Alternatively, visit the closest-walk in centre.