Waste collection services remain largely outsourced in Ekurhuleni, where a Limpopo-based company, with no registered address in the City, has reportedly been awarded a multimillion-rand contract. The company, believed to be linked to some political elites, has since refused to collect waste until the City pays for services rendered.
Under the contract, the company was obligated to provide 10 refuse removal trucks in good working condition, with a requirement to bring 10 additional new refuse trucks into operation within three months of the contract period and another 6 trucks by the five-month mark.
Shockingly, to date, only two trucks have been made available for refuse removal across the entire Tembisa area.
Since it is now more than two months after the new budget had been approved, ActionSA would like the EFF MMC for Waste, Cllr Leshaka Manamela to explain exactly how long it would take for the City to start paying contracted service providers delivering refuse removal services.
ActionSA will on Thursday, 22 August 2024, engage with residents of Tembisa how the lack of waste and refuse collection affects their health and lived experiences, as well as submit the following questions to council:
- 1. Whether contracted services providers have been paid in full per month as per the contract for refuse collection and how much has been paid to date, if not, why?
- 2. What is the total number of operational trucks under within the City’s own fleet, and why the City is not moving towards building internal capacity to meet demands?
- 3. Whether any penalties have been implemented for failure to meet contractual obligations in instances where the contractor has failed to meet contractual obligations?
ActionSA calls for a holistic and integrated approach is needed to improve waste management including the internal capacitation of the waste management department by intensifying the procurement of trucks and insourcing of permanent workers to meet the demands of the City.
ActionSA
www.actionsa.org.za
