By Levy Masiteng
Pikitup, the City of Johannesburg’s waste management entity, said waste collection remained behind schedule at its Randburg and Roodepoort depots, despite operations having normalised at 10 of its 12 depots after recent disruptions.
The update followed recent disruptions to refuse collection in parts of the city.
The disruptions stemmed from operational problems, including protest-related incidents and inclement weather, which resulted in disposal limitations and slower turnaround times.
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“We further experienced a recurrence of protesters demanding permanent employment, without due processes being followed and as a result, further disrupting our recovery plan,” Pikitup said in a statement.
The entity said operations at the Randburg and Roodepoort depots had been further affected by the partial closure of the Marie Louise landfill site.
That, it said, had forced trucks to travel longer distances to dispose of waste at operational landfill sites in the south of Johannesburg, delaying efforts to clear the backlog.
“Pikitup’s operations team is working around the clock to implement measures to ensure the normalisation of waste collection services in all affected areas as soon as possible.”
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Those measures include optimising disposal arrangements and improving turnaround times.
Pikitup said routine services, including refuse collection, street cleaning and the clearing of illegal dumping, were continuing as normal across all depots.
It appealed to residents served by the affected depots for patience, and said those able to do so should take excess waste to the nearest disposal site.