Stinky pavements: Here’s when Pikitup will collect your bins

Pikitup, Johannesburg’s waste management entity, reported that waste collection services across the city are returning to normal after a strike by contract workers disrupted operations for over a week. A spokesperson for Pikitup, Muzi Mkhwanazi, informed The Citizen that 11 out of 12 depots have resumed their regular schedules, with isolated issues being addressed.

The Avalon depot, which faced the most significant disruptions, is expected to clear its backlog by the end of the week. Pikitup's operations are still supported by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) in some areas, but this assistance is not permanent. The JMPD may escort Pikitup trucks based on specific situations, such as community unrest or depot disruptions.

Pikitup remains vulnerable to the same challenges affecting the communities it serves, and management is working to resolve tensions with the striking workers. The core demand from the roughly 300 casual and contracted workers is to be permanently employed by Pikitup. Pikitup management is in discussions to resolve the impasse, but the City of Johannesburg's deputy mayor, Loyiso Masuku, disputes claims that the city had agreed to hire casual workers permanently.

Masuku had apologized to residents for the extended waste collection failures and appealed for calm, urging the striking workers to cooperate with Pikitup's engagement platform and maintain a clean city as their shared responsibility.