City and Pikitup officials met with disgruntled informal settlement residents and unemployed Pikitup workers to address their concerns on 22 October.
The meeting comes after the streets of Kya Sand and Bloubosrand were trashed with litter by community members and unemployed Pikitup workers on 19 October.
READ: Rubbish strewn in the streets of Kya Sand
MMC of Environment and Infrastructure Services, Nico de Jager said, “The idea of this meeting today was a response to the protests that took place last week. A contract came to an end and the community alleges that the contractor has not paid them yet.
“I have shown my representation today to find out from the community exactly what the issue is and how we can go forward in helping them.
We recognise there is a need to find a permanent solution for this area, but we have to look at our budget first to make provisions for an extra 200 people. This, on top of sorting out the provisions for the already unemployed Jozi@Work and 2010 Pikitup workers.
“I cannot promise employment for those who are out of their contract straight away, but we have to find a solution to this problem, which I am heading back to my office now to address,” said De Jager.
Regional manager for Pikitup Randburg Majoro Letsela said, “Those who worked on cleaning the Kya Sand area did an amazing job.
We had an independent contractor paid for by Pikitup to source labour working as a middleman and, unfortunately, the contract ended. We will work on a solution to this problem,” explained Letsela.
Kya Sand community leader Billy Modikwe said, “We are hoping for the best and we thank the City representatives for coming to see us today.
“We have given the City until Friday to give us a solution to the problem of cleaning the informal settlement and the employment of the workers.
By Monday, if there is no concrete answer, we will mobilise the community, clean the settlement and dump the rubbish in the industrial areas and suburbs on Malibongwe Drive.”
