WeeklySA_AdminRESIDENTS IRKED BY UNBEARABLE STENCH
Despite assurances by the City of Tshwane to improve service delivery to its residents, several townships have been struggling to deal with rubbish that has piling up and had not been collected since last week.
Rubbish bags containing rotten food have been placed along the streets and at almost every corner in several townships including Soshanguve and Atteridgeville and the stench has now invited big rats to even invade several yards. The smell from the rotting garbage is unbearable and a health hazard.
The City of Tshwane recently issued a statement requesting residents to be patient because a new contractor had been tasked with the waste collection from July 1 this year. The City has also introduced new regulations that required all waste collection trucks to not be older than nine years, have trackers and be roadworthy. The latest excuse is that disgruntled former waste collection service providers were threatening on-duty truck drivers from disposing waste at landfills.
This is unacceptable. Residents who pay an average of R400 a month per household for the collection of waste, cannot be inconvinienced by disputes that have nothing to do with them. These new waste collection service providers can seek protection from law enforcement agencies to perform their duties. Afterall, they are being paid to deliver services – not excuses. In his speech at the Opening of Parliament this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa stressed that municipalities must become both the providers of social services and facilitators of inclusive economic growth. They must work to attract investment because investors were attracted to areas with reliable and modern infrastructure. The Government of National Unity would also ensure that municipalities were run by qualified and competent officials.
After thirty years of democracy, South Africa cannot afford to still have townships where street corners have been turned into dump sites with residents struggling to deal with the rotting garbage near their houses because of failures by their respective municipalities. Some of the rubbish had been dumped near schools and creches and even blocking parts of certain roads. Ramaphosa lamented the failures to deliver by most municipalities and said as an immediate priority, the GNU would bring stability to governance especially in the metros and restore the delivery of services.
Senior managers at the City of Tshwane must act swiftly to address the problem of waste collection in the townships. They must also show respect to the residents because they were paying for these services. The overwhelming stench at almost every street and corner could result in the spread of diseases especially amongst children.
Authorities should also be reminded that service delivery was one of the most important aspects of running a business. The new waste collection contractor is urged to move quickly to collect the garbage that had turned the townships into rubbish dumps and a health hazard. Service delivery is not a favour . As the saying goes, it actually provided the municipality the opportunity to impress customers and showed them what the business could do and the value it offered.
