BREAKING NEWS – Waste collection backlog affects city cluster

Residents and businesspersons in the city cluster of Polokwane are experiencing a solid waste collection backlog since Friday and it appears that they will have to face this situation for days to come. Mankweng, Seshego and the Central Business District and surrounding residential areas are affected.
Disree Manyane, acting Assistant Manager in the Media and Stakeholders Unit of the municipality, says in a media release that the backlog is a result of a breakdown of vehicles. “Waste collection will be done at a slow pace within the three areas and the normal routine of waste collection will be temporarily suspended. The municipality apologies for the inconvenience caused and urges residents to be patient,” Manyane says.
Manyane could not provide an exact time table of the intended collections but it appears from a planned schedule that some areas will only be reached at the end of the week.
The solid waste removal vehicles are not owned by the municipality, but provided by a fleet service contractor and it could, at time of going to print, not be established what the obligations of the service provider are when vehicles are out of commission. In a report that was tabled in Council recently, it was however stated that the current contract for provision of vehicles is expiring later this year and that most of the vehicles have reached the end of their economic life span.

Story: BARRY VILJOEN
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