Mashaba will not privatise Pikitup
JOBURG – The mayor said in the run-up to the elections that he would disolve Pikitup.
Herman Mashaba, the recently sworn in Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, said no steps have been taken to privatise Pikitup. Mashaba made the statement after both the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosato) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) publicly opposed the idea.
Mashaba released a statement on 31 August, saying it would be premature of him to announce any approach to sorting out the deep-rooted problems at Pikitup.
The newly-elected mayor, the Democratic Alliance’s candidate for the historic 2016 municipal elections, had said during the run-up to the elections that if elected mayor he would break the municipal-owned entity into a number of smaller and decentralised service providers across Johannesburg’s different regions.
During a visit to Alexandra in June, Mashaba said this would open up unprecedented entrepreneurial opportunities and create jobs in the fastest growth industry in the 21st Century – green technologies. And if another strike hits, only one region of the City’s seven regions would be affected.
He added that no Pikitup employee would lose their job but will rather be absorbed by service providers. He did, however, refer to the recent reports of privatisation as an allegation.
The EFF’s Joburg Regional spokesperson, Khethokuhle Mabona, said the EFF does not support the privatisation of Pikitup. “We need to work on Pikitup, but we are not willing to have it privatised. Privatisation has dire consequences on workers in the long run,” he said.
On 30 August, Sizwe Pamla, the national spokesperson for Cosatu, also said the union opposed the privatisation of public services. “Privatisation will detrimentally affect the socio-economic interests of the poor, which includes workers and the working class in general.
“It will lead to decreased and inferior quality services for the poor since they won’t be able to pay for the services provided by or through private interests. It will lead to higher prices for the provision of basic services, which will adversely affect the poor and it will also limit the extension of basic social and municipal services to the poor.”
The mayor has confirmed there are no current plans to privatise Pikitup. “I have noted the various statements made by interested parties and stakeholders with regard to the alleged privatisation of Pikitup.”
But Mashaba added the systematic problems that plague Pikitup have to be addressed. “With the support of our newly-appointed MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services, Anthony Still, I wish to follow an inclusive process of assessment and consultation with all stakeholders to determine what is in the best interests of all,” he said.
“This process of assessment and consultation will be conducted transparently and in good faith and must include trade unions.”
In his statement, he asked Joburgers for patience and said it’s going to take time to correct years of mismanagement and decay in Johannesburg.
Still concluded, “We need to start from scratch and, step-by-step, build an inclusive City that we can all be proud of.”
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