Walls of waste as BCM trucks break down

The Buffalo City Metro’s community services department is battling to collect waste with eight of its rubbish trucks in for repairs.

Residents from Mzamomhle near Gonubie said their waste had not been picked up in months while in Nahoon, Ducats and Southernwood, residents said waste collection had been irregular.

Ducats resident Lungani Sigcela said BCM initially picked up rubbish on Fridays but over the past month they had noticed collection had not taken place or it would take place on a Sunday evening.

“One can never be too sure with BCM, one day they pick up the rubbish, the next they are nowhere to be found. The picking up of rubbish is really a problem in Ducats, rubbish was not picked up at all last week.

“If they only come on Sunday evenings we are forced to stay the whole weekend with smelly streets and rubbish everywhere. You will find dirty nappies and spilt rubbish all over the streets,” said Sigcela.

Mzamomhle resident Thembalethu Dyaluvane said their rubbish had not been picked up in months and they had resorted to burning it.

“There are mountains of rubbish in every corner of the township. We have had to burn it ourselves, leaving burnt waste around, and this really makes the township dirty.

“These are some of the things that cause unexplainable illnesses.

“We have been neglected in this township, there are so many things that need to be attended to. If the municipality can’t do something as simple as pick up rubbish, ?”

Nahoon resident Natasha Streep said BCM had not picked up their waste this week. Collection had been irregular and waste sometimes spent weeks on the street.

“Trucks usually pick up our waste on Wednesdays, but they did not come.”

BCM spokesman Sibusiso Cindi had not responded to questions at the time of writing yesterday.