Progress is being made by the Department of Waste and Sanitation to clear the backlog of refuse removal across the City of Ekurhuleni.
“Although we still have a shortage of trucks doing collections in our communities due to constant breakdowns, we are happy to announce 90% of our residents are now receiving the smooth waste collection,” said the MMC of Environment and Waste Management, Andre du Plessis.
The department is also investigating allegations of internal sabotage that has caused vehicles to ‘break down’ shortly after being repaired.
Waste depot managers have been facilitated with a tracking sheet, which will assist in communicating bottlenecks in the system. These sheets are live and are shared with residents via their councillors.
As a long-term solution, the option of introducing a full maintenance lease for the fleet to better deal with any breakdowns and expedite turnaround times to mitigate delays in service delivery is being explored.
Du Plessis extended his sincere apology to residents due to the collapse in the waste management chain and has committed to ensuring that residents receive regular updates.
