With eight refuse removal trucks currently in circulation throughout Benoni, MMC for Environment and Waste Management, André du Plessis is confident that 90% of residents are now receiving smooth waste collection.
“Although we still have a shortage of trucks doing collections, we are confident that we will be reverting to weekly scheduled collections soon,” he said.
“We are investigating allegations of internal sabotage which has resulted in vehicles breaking down shortly after being repaired and returned to the depot.”
According to Zweli Dlamini, spokesperson for the metro, 11 compactors, four skip loaders and one font-end loader are still out of service.
Given the severe impact the recent refuse removal debacle had on service delivery, Du Plessis added that the metro is investigating the possibility of introducing a full maintenance lease for the fleet to better deal with breakdowns and expedite turnaround times to mitigate delays.
A tender process has also been initiated to appoint a panel of service providers that offer specialised plant hire which could be activated should future break-downs occur.
As frustrations continue to mount over what has been referred to as a ‘total collapse of service delivery’, many residents are demanding a refund for refuse removal fees on their municipal accounts, or payments will be withheld until the service returns to normal.
“Should residents neglect to make these payments it will only further contribute to the cycle events, that are currently plaguing the city,” said Dlamini.
“Failed payments will affect the metro’s departmental budget earmarked for procuring a new fleet as well as routine repairs and maintenance.”
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