City Times helps woman collect wheelie bin
Although a 76-year-old woman has received her wheelie bin with the assistance of the City Times, she is worried that many other people will not be so fortunate.
The roll-out of wheelie bins concluded in Benoni a few weeks ago and people now have to collect their bins from 4 Golden Drive.
READ: Wheelie bin roll-out continues, so collect your bin
Airfield resident Dorothy Berry was unable to collect hers, as she does not own a car or have any family in the country.
READ: ‘Serious concerns’ about wheelie bins
The City Times responded to the call and took Berry to the collection point on July 7.
Before the City Times came to Berry’s aid, she said she called the numbers given by Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) spokesperson Themba Gadebe in a previous article.
Gadebe said residents could call the Benoni Waste Depot (011 999 7649/6830) for “assistance” with obtaining a container.
In spite of this, Berry was not assisted.
“I had explained to the woman who answered that I needed to arrange for delivery of a wheelie bin; she immediately told me that they don’t do deliveries and that I must go and wait in the queue,” said Berry.
“I told her that the number on which I had just rung her was given in the paper for people unable to collect to phone and arrange delivery.
“She reiterated that they don’t do deliveries.
“I explained that I am 76, have no family or transport and walk with a stick and that was why I was requesting delivery.
“Her response was: “You must make a plan, we don’t do deliveries.”
Berry said she is worried about other people in the same boat as herself.
“I am seriously concerned, not just for myself, but for all those others in a similar situation,” she said.
“I know for a fact that there is an old woman down my street who must be nearly 90, also on her own with no transport.
“… Why has a number to phone for assistance been given in the paper when the people there (I think she answered “Waste”) apparently know nothing about it and care even less?”
Gadebe said the metro cannot “assist” residents, as he stated in a previous article.
“The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality Waste depots do not have the services to deliver bins house-to-house due to limited resources,” said Gadebe.
“The process of delivering wheelie bins house-to-house by waste collecting officials would compromise the standard waste collection routine.
“Residents are therefore urged to make arrangements to collect their wheelie bins at their nearby waste depot by calling this number: 011 999 7640/6830.”
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