WATCH | Job-seekers disrupt Pikitup waste collection in parts of Joburg

Heaps of uncollected rubbish lining the streets in parts of Joburg continue to drive residents up the wall as Pikitup battles to clean up.

The dumped rubbish is the outcome of a protest by frustrated job-seekers from Diepsloot, Cosmo City and Zandspruit who marched to the Pikitup Randburg depot on Tuesday last week to demand jobs.

Police had to be called to disperse them, and they took out their frustration by strewing rubbish in the Randburg CBD, Cosmo City and Diepsloot.

When Sowetan visited these areas on Thursday, piles of rubbish lay along the roads together with unemptied bins.

In Zandspruit, residents claim disruptions in the refuse collection service started in January.

Hendrik “Mpopo” Molapisi, 35, a Zandspruit resident, said the uncollected rubbish was affecting them badly.

“We are suffocating, breathing rubbish every day, not to mention the flies that are usually here when it’s hot,” he said. “We are exposed to germs. I mean, almost every corner of our community has become a dumpsite. There is rubbish everywhere outside our homes, near schools and parks.”

Buchule Raba, president of the Cosmo City Residents Association, told Sowetan that many bins remain unemptied. He said residents on Wednesday united in cleaning South Africa Drive — a road that is the heartbeat of the community.

“On Wednesday, community members took the initiative to clean their own streets after waste collection was disrupted. In several parts of Cosmo City, dustbins remain full and are waiting to be collected due to the ongoing challenges affecting the Randburg depot.

“While we appreciate the community’s willingness to step in, waste management remains the responsibility of the City. We therefore urge the City of Johannesburg and Pikitup to urgently resolve the situation and restore normal service delivery.”

According to Raba, the protesters were, in fact, Pikitup casual workers who are tired of being hired via sub-contractors.

Zanele Nkomo, a business owner running a food stall from a caravan, said uncollected rubbish affects her as this is often dumped in front of her establishment.

“I have taken the initiative to clean up after people dumped rubbish near my caravan. I can’t afford to have such a smell around my business as I sell food. I bought the dustbin bags and pack the rubbish so it’s not everywhere, and that way I can control the smell as well. I really can’t wait for Pikitup [to come and collect the rubbish].”

The entity has been updating residents daily about their efforts to clean up but progress has been slow as many parts of Joburg north remain dirty.

Pikitup spokesperson Anthony Selepe said the protest last week had greatly affected the service and availability of landfills. He said Pikitup has catch-up plans for all areas that have been affected.

“Pikitup is currently experiencing operational challenges and protest-related disruptions that are affecting waste collection services in some parts of the city. As a result, certain waste collection services are not being completed according to schedule, while street sweeping and waste disposal operations have also been affected in certain areas.

“These disruptions are primarily linked to limited landfill availability, with only Goudkoppies and Robinson Deep landfill sites currently fully operational,” he said.

Selby, Orange Farm, and Central Camp depots are also experiencing operational challenges, which have affected service delivery in some areas.

“Management is engaging with the affected employees to restore operations as soon as possible. The Roodepoort depot is running behind schedule, and teams are working to normalise waste collection in the areas it services.”

Sowetan