Pikitup won’t reimburse ratepayers

Pikitup finally decided to answer questions regarding the paid service. They’ve been inundated with queries throughout the ongoing illegal strike.

“Requests have been received from residents, stating that they should be reimbursed monthly service charges for refuse collection, as Pikitup could not provide a service due to an ongoing illegal work stoppage on the part of its employees affiliated to the South African Municipal Workers Union [Samwu],” spokesperson Jacky Mashapu in a press statement said.

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“[Pikitup] would like to point out [that] the refuse removal services fee is a monthly charge based on the value of property as per the promulgated City’s Tariffs.

“The charge cannot be itemised or allocated to a bin, nor the number of lifts per bin, neither is it based on the quantity of the waste collected,” he responded.

Mashapu said waste services not only include bin collection but also street cleaning, clearing illegal dumping sites, litter picking and landfill operations, which are all funded by the rates collected from residents.

“In [this] case, Pikitup implements a contingency plan to deal with the backlog of uncollected refuse,” he said.

The entity reiterated its commitment to stabilising daily operations. It takes into account scheduled collections have been missed. Services currently are running into the night to deal with the backlog. In some cases, extra crews are sent out while some areas have been prioritised due to volume.

“Regrettably, it is not possible to provide a refund or credit during or after this illegal strike.

“Even though there has been disruption in collection, the law does not permit ratepayers to withhold payment of their refuse charge,” Mashapu said.

Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.

Also read: Pikitup needs volunteers for contingency

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