Pretoria working to reduce refuse collection backlog

Residents can expect the backlog of waste collection over parts of Pretoria to decrease as the city implements a plan of action following intimidation and violence by striking workers and subcontractors, who lost contracts with the city due to noncompliance.

Last week, angry workers caused havoc at a municipal building in Mamelodi and the city’s emergency services had to be called out after tyres were burned and a petrol bomb was thrown at a building.

Residents left waiting

Heleen Visagie from Murrayfield said she had waited for the city to collect the bins since Tuesday.

Visagie was unaware of the backlog in her area and was surprised to see the truck collecting waste by Thursday.

“It is frustrating dragging a full bin in and out of the driveway every day only for them not to show up,” she said.

A municipal worker who declined to be named said workers were working in fear again. The worker said there were still many hurdles with new waste removal regulations and issues from those who lost contracts.

ALSO READ: Tshwane ANC accused of sabotaging Brink over waste collection tender dispute

“Many issues have not been solved because there are still some snags. Officials and contractors are working in fear. They think that even though the metro is on some of their routes, they question what the metro could do against a group of armed angry workers,” he said.

The worker said he wouldn’t be surprised if workers went on strike again because the increased negotiations of last year were still unresolved while the council refused to pay the arrears owed to workers.

spokesperson Selby Bokaba said the city implemented a waste collection catch-up plan in most parts of Region 6 on Wednesday to ease the backlog due to disruptions.

City manager Johann Mettler said the municipality would not give in to the demands of the former service providers and their workers.

“We will not capitulate to the threats by some of the previous service providers who did not meet the new requirements.”