Just as each resident who is staying at home during the lockdown wants to be protected from contracting the coronavirus, so do the essential staff members who continue to work outside the comfort of their homes.
Pikitup is one of the essential services operating during the lockdown. and the waste management entity is appealing to residents to be considerate of their staff’s health.
As such, the entity is asking residents to please take the precautionary measure of sanitizing the handles and lids of their bins.
Pikitup spokesperson, Muzi Mkhwanazi assured residents that the entity’s employees have been provided with protective clothing during this period, but the call is still being made to residents asking them to practice extra caution to protect both the employees and themselves.
Muzi also posted a couple of reminders to residents who may be unsure of their services during this time:
• Residents are reminded that all plastic bin bags need to be tied before being placed in the bins
• Residents should take note that the garden sites and refuse sites, such as the Panorama Garden Site, are operational during the lockdown. Residents are advised to use these facilities to dispose of excess waste and recyclable materials
Muzi then covered an important topic relating to giving tinned food or money to the Pikitup employees. Fake news has been circulating that residents should try to give monetary donations or tinned food to the refuse collectors, but this is against Pikitup’s policies.
“It is against Pikitup’s policy to request residents to offer any kind of donations to its employees or for its employees to make such requests,” stated Muzi.
Residents are urged to report such incidents to the entity by calling 011 712 5200, and should provide the following details where possible:
• The registration details of the Pikitup truck concerned
• The time and area where the incident occurred
He assured that all official communication is done through the CIty of Johannesburg’s Group Communications Department, and posted on the City’s social media pages and shared through councillors where necessary. “Residents are therefore urged to disregard all communication pertaining to Pikitup that comes from other sources except the City of Johannesburg.”
Official communications and pertaining to anything CoJ-related can be found on @CityofJoburg (Facebook) or @CityofJoburgZA (Twitter).
