Environment and Infrastructure Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) Matsidiso Mfikoe announced that the City is hoping that the strike would be over by 8 April.
Mayor Parks Tau was joined by Finance MMC Geoffrey Makhubo; Speaker of Council, Councillor Connie Baphela and MMC Matsidiso Mfikoe on 6 April. They collectively agreed in an extraordinary council sitting to mobilise communities to engage in a clean-up of the City amidst the ongoing illegal strike by Pikitup workers.
The decision was announced by the mayor in his closing remarks in Council where he applauded those residents and businesses who have partnered with the City in a bid to clean up the City. These individuals have donated their time and resources to help in making the city clean.
“We are also committed to investigating allegations against the managing director of Pikitup Amanda Nair within the legal framework,” said Mayor Tau.
MMC Mfikoe disagreed that Nair is an incompetent director, “In the past 12 years Pikitup has had four MD’s who had contracts that were supposed to be for five years, Amanda was he first MD to finish one financial year,” said MMC Mfikoe.
The City has used approximately R28 million to date since the strike started four weeks ago. “There is a no-work-no-pay policy, the money we would have paid the workers is being used to pay the private contractors,” said Mayor Tau. MMC Makhubo added that the City is not in the position to pay each worker R10 000.
The mayor also spoke on the bubonic plague that was tested positive in a rodent, “No rat was tested for an active plague, the rat did however, indicate historic antibodies. Further tests were made and no other rats were tested positive,” said Mayor Tau. He added that there is no immediate threat and that the situation is being closely monitored.
