While much of the backlog of residential waste around Buffalo City Metro has now been cleared, some suburban pockets were adding black bags of new rubbish to piles that had not been collected in the last collection cycle.
The metro yesterday furnished the Daily Dispatch with a “coastal interim refuse collection schedule” following a week-long solid waste worker strike that left the city heaving in trash.
On Thursday last week, executive mayor Alfred Mtsi apologised for the non-collection of refuse, saying workers went on strike over protective clothing. He also cited a shortage of refuse trucks, saying many were in for repair.
Yesterday BCM spokesman Keith Ngesi said all workers were back at work and that the municipality had increased the number of trucks on the road from six to 15.
But residents said they were unsure whether to put their waste out or not because there was no clear indication from BCM about what they should do.
In the Blue Bend area of Beacon Bay, Hillcrest Drive resident Raymond Masters said he had put out his rubbish on the area’s regular collection day yesterday despite the presence of last Monday’s refuse lying on the verge.
“Everyone is putting their rubbish out because BCM is not communicating with us,” he said.
Beacon Bay resident Marius Moolman said he would put his rubbish out today as per the usual collection day.
“If it is not collected by tomorrow evening I will put it outside the BCM building and others are saying the same. They should communicate with us though. Social media works well.”
The Daily Dispatch was yesterday unable to find any communication on the metro’s website and Facebook page regarding the status of collections.
Southernwood was also piled high with uncollected rubbish; ripped open bags of trash lined the streets of Selborne and Vincent and in Parkside smelly piles of rubbish clogged up many street corners.
Gonubie resident Louw Myburgh said although there were still patches of waste backlogs in the suburb, BCM had been doing the rounds over the weekend and the suburb was largely clear of refuse.
“There has been no communication from their side. If they communicated that there was a problem, people would have held their rubbish back for a day or two, but when they feel they are being ignored they take the law into their own hands,” he said.
Myburgh was referring to frustrated residents of Gonubie and Beacon Bay who had dumped uncollected rubbish outside BCM buildings in their suburbs last week. Ngesi said yesterday he would communicate on social networks.
Asked why the interim schedule released by BCM yesterday did not include all suburbs, Ngesi said it reflected only areas “where there is a backlog”.
“Please note the nightshift is not included. We will update you as they normally start at 5pm,” he wrote.
On the right, is BCM’s interim refuse collection schedule.
Rubbish still get up people’s noses
The metro yesterday furnished the Daily Dispatch with a “coastal interim refuse collection schedule” following a week-long solid waste worker strike that left the city heaving in trash.
On Thursday last week, executive mayor Alfred Mtsi apologised for the non-collection of refuse, saying workers went on strike over protective clothing. He also cited a shortage of refuse trucks, saying many were in for repair.
Yesterday BCM spokesman Keith Ngesi said all workers were back at work and that the municipality had increased the number of trucks on the road from six to 15.
But residents said they were unsure whether to put their waste out or not because there was no clear indication from BCM about what they should do.
In the Blue Bend area of Beacon Bay, Hillcrest Drive resident Raymond Masters said he had put out his rubbish on the area’s regular collection day yesterday despite the presence of last Monday’s refuse lying on the verge.
“Everyone is putting their rubbish out because BCM is not communicating with us,” he said.
Beacon Bay resident Marius Moolman said he would put his rubbish out today as per the usual collection day.
“If it is not collected by tomorrow evening I will put it outside the BCM building and others are saying the same. They should communicate with us though. Social media works well.”
The Daily Dispatch was yesterday unable to find any communication on the metro’s website and Facebook page regarding the status of collections.
Southernwood was also piled high with uncollected rubbish; ripped open bags of trash lined the streets of Selborne and Vincent and in Parkside smelly piles of rubbish clogged up many street corners.
Gonubie resident Louw Myburgh said although there were still patches of waste backlogs in the suburb, BCM had been doing the rounds over the weekend and the suburb was largely clear of refuse.
“There has been no communication from their side. If they communicated that there was a problem, people would have held their rubbish back for a day or two, but when they feel they are being ignored they take the law into their own hands,” he said.
Myburgh was referring to frustrated residents of Gonubie and Beacon Bay who had dumped uncollected rubbish outside BCM buildings in their suburbs last week. Ngesi said yesterday he would communicate on social networks.
Asked why the interim schedule released by BCM yesterday did not include all suburbs, Ngesi said it reflected only areas “where there is a backlog”.
“Please note the nightshift is not included. We will update you as they normally start at 5pm,” he wrote.
On the right, is BCM’s interim refuse collection schedule.
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