Johannesburg - As rotting rubbish and litter continue to leave many Joburg streets stinking and in some cases impassable, Pikitup could not say Wednesday when order would be restored and the streets cleaned up.
Spokesman Jacky Mashapu did not give any explanation, except to issue a statement reiterating what he had pointed out on Monday, when he appealed to workers to return to work.
He also did not give any information as to whether the Red Ants, the external services appointed to collect rubbish in the interim, were still cleaning the streets.
There was no sign of the Red Ants in the CBD Wednesday, following Monday night’s incident when four of their members were wounded, three critically, after they were shot while clearing the streets.
The attack on them occurred in Klein Street near the Wanderers taxi rank.
As the Pikitup workers vowed to intensify their strike action and the litter continues to pile up in the streets, the City of Joburg could not say what it intended to do to solve the problem.
Attempts to get comment from Anda Mbikwana, spokesman for the member of the mayoral committee for environment and infrastructure services, Matshidiso Mfikoe, were unsuccessful.
Striking Pikitup workers stoned an unmarked refuse truck in Harrison Street in the CBD as it was trying to pick up rubbish. No one was injured.
A witness, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Star that protesters forced the truck to stop when they saw it transporting rubbish bags and old boxes.
“They started throwing things at it and then forced the driver out of the vehicle. He ran away.
“The protesters then climbed onto the back of the truck and emptied everything in its dumpster all over the road,” he said.
Some of the roads in the CBD were rendered impassable after the protesters had emptied refuse bags onto the streets.
In other places, residents were seen burning the refuse in an attempt to stop rats and get rid of the rubbish.
“It’s a massive health hazard,” said resident Nasreen Pillay.
“I live in the flats here and this is just disgusting. I don’t want to let my son walk through this - who knows what diseases are in this?
“This rubbish has been rotting here for days,” she said.
@CityofJoburgZA advised residents on Twitter to leave their dustbins and bags of rubbish out as normal.
“Residents are advised to leave their bins outside until teams collect their refuse. In some instances, refuse may be collected in the evenings. #Pikitup.” - Additional reporting by Kgopi Mabotja
@LanC_02
The Star
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