Johannesburg – Despite Pikitup’s promises to hire an additional 1 085 temporary workers over the festive season, Joburg’s inner city has not been cleaned for days.
The streets are filled with litter on almost every corner.
Inner city resident James Maloyi said he is disgusted at the state of affairs.
“They promised the streets would be cleaned on a daily basis, but we have not seen them here.
"We have to live in this filth with flies, mosquitoes and rats everywhere,” he said.
At the beginning of the month, Pikitup said the extra staff, mostly young people, would work between December and January to ensure the festive season waste collection programme runs without any glitches.
The utility said that the daily quantity of waste increases during the December holidays and it was therefore employing additional staff to assist in tackling these expected high volumes of waste.
Johannes Thakheli, manager of Pikitup’s specialist youth and expanded public works programme, said many employees were on leave at this time of the year and that was the reason for hiring the temporary staff.
Residents whose waste collection days fall on New Year’s Day are requested to take out their bins on January 2.
The utility also encourages city residents to familiarise themselves with their local charity networks so that unwanted items such as furniture and clothing that have been replaced with the festive season purchases can be donated for good causes instead of being thrown away.
Pikitup appeals to residents to refrain from giving any presents to its employees because, in the past, non-Pikitup employees used the opportunity to demand gifts and money presents from residents.
Furthermore, criminals use such scams to rob people off their belongings.
Pikitup spokesperson Bulelwa Zimba confirmed the additional temporary staff members were, indeed, hired to assist in cleaning the city.
“Of the additional staff of 1085 temporary staff hired, 275 were allocated to the inner city and the rest to other regions around Joburg,” she said.