Waste collection backlog in Springs reaches critical levels
by Cllr. Amanda Davison — DA Member of the Environment, Resource and Waste Management in Ekurhuleni
Date: 12 April 2021
Release: Immediate
Type: Media statement
The well-documented waste backlog that has gripped the ANC Coalition-led* City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) has now reached unsustainable levels with many depots across the Metro being unable to process the mountainous volumes of waste particularly in Springs.
Exacerbating the crisis is the shortage of waste collection and processing vehicles at many depots due to a cash flow shortage in the division of Fleet Management, housed within the Department of Transport and Fleet Management, reported in February 2021.
Following years of poor planning and maladministration under the incumbent administration, the Division, which is responsible for vehicle repair, maintenance and licensing, notified all Departments within the Metro that certain vehicles would be unable to perform their mandated tasks. As a result, service delivery has majorly suffered and the Springs Waste Depot is no exception.
During a site inspection, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Ekurhuleni was shocked to learn that the Depot had not had any collections for over a week. Operationally, the depot requires at least 10 compactor trucks — currently only one is functional. Twelve rear-end loaders were found gathering dust, while three tipper trucks and a brand new grab truck were found broken down. In addition, a never been used Tractor-Loader-Backhoe, or TLB, standing dormant for 6-years is now being used for parts for other TLBs across the City.
Shockingly, half of these trucks are operational and only require licensing to operate, however, due to the inefficiency of the Fleet Management Division, the processing of the licenses will have to wait until the Division can get its house in order. In the meantime, backlogs such as these will persist and residents will be the ones who suffer as service delivery continues to decline.
The DA finds the current state of waste in these depots appalling and calls on the Department of Environmental Resource and Waste Management Services, to take urgent action in clearing the backlog by prioritising the City’s vehicles return to operation.
Under a DA-led Metro, waste delivery and collection will be declared an essential service, where the vehicles needed to fulfil the waste function will be licensed and serviced timeously to not compromise services to residents across the City. The current waste backlog is an indictment on the ANC Coalition-led Metro and should not be tolerated.
*Coalition Partners: African Independent Congress (AIC), Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), Patriotic Alliance (PA) and Independent Ratepayers Association of South Africa (IRASA)
Cllr. Amanda Davison
DA Member of the Environment Resource and Waste Management in Ekurhuleni
