Public Protector report vindicates the DA on Ekurhuleni refuse collection failures

1 October 2021

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the Public Protector’s findings that the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) was in contravention of the Constitution after it failed to collect refuse in the Kempton Park area.

In 2019 the DA laid a complaint with the Public Protector after the municipality failed to honour its service delivery obligations.

The Public Protector’s findings vindicate the DA’s efforts to make the municipality comply with its duties of offering uninterrupted services such as refuse removal.

For years the DA has maintained and communicated that Ekurhuleni Local Municipality’s failure to collect refuse and allowing it to heap up into huge piles placed the health and wellbeing of residents at risk.

The Mayor of the City of Ekurhuleni, Mzwandile Masina, should hang his head in shame at the fact that the CoE failed to adhere to their Constitutional obligation.

Instead of focusing on vanity ideas such as a Disneyland for Ekurhuleni, a Zoo and a Formula 1 racing track, he should rather focus his attention on providing basic services to the residents of Ekurhuleni.

The report allows for the DA to seek alternative interventions on behalf of the people of Kempton Park to address the municipality’s failures.

The Public Protector report made the following recommendations for the City Manager to implement:

- Noting that the contract for the appointment of specialised waste management vehicles, equipment and support services on an “As and When” required basis was concluded on 30 June 2020, timeously commence the procurement process prior to the cessation of this contract(s), to ensure the sustainable provision of refuse removal services in the Kempton Park area, without any interruptions.

- Ensure that the waste removal trucks and other equipment associated with the sustainable provision of these services are properly maintained and serviced as required.

- Ensure that any outsourced services are properly monitored and managed.

The DA will continue to apply pressure to the municipality to act on these recommendations to the benefit of the people of Ekurhuleni.

Where the DA governs, we ensure that refuse is collected regularly, this is the type of government that we want to bring to the people of Ekurhuleni.

Issued by Refiloe Nt’sekhe, DA Ekurhuleni Mayoral Candidate, 1 October 2021