Vandalism of refuse drop-off sites blamed on insourcing of guards

A 2019 council resolution to insource security officers to guard Nelson Mandela Bay facilities has proved to be disastrous, with the city’s refuse drop-off sites being vandalised and unsafe for residents to use.

This was the sentiment of many councillors at a public health committee meeting when the acting executive director for public health, Anna-Lisa Dyakala, tabled a report on security concerns and vandalism of the sites.

The sites have become unsafe because there are no security guards to protect the facilities.

Before the city began insourcing security guards, most municipal infrastructure was under 24-hour guard by private security companies contracted by the city.

The report indicated that all 18 refuse drop-off sites in the city had become unsafe after their fences were stolen, allowing unauthorised access to vandals and other criminal elements.

“The lack of after-hour security personnel at the mentioned drop-off sites is contributing to them becoming unmanageable due to unauthorised access,” Dyakala’s report said.

“This is resulting in the rapid deterioration of the municipality’s waste management’s assets, significantly increasing maintenance and repair costs and reducing the assets’ useful life.

“Regarding ... the licence conditions of the sites and the regulations and directions published by the government considering the Covid-19 pandemic, the municipality is non-compliant in ensuring operational and safety measures, which can only be made possible [with] adequate access control provided.”

Part of the waste management mandate encompasses the provision of drop-off sites within a 300m to 500m radius of neighbouring communities.

These drop-off sites are intended to be accessible temporary waste storage facilities where residents are able to dispose of their garden, recyclable and bulky waste.

“Over recent months vandalism in and around the drop-off sites has significantly increased, including a series of [incidents] reported at these sites, particularly at the busiest sites of the municipality,” the report said.

In the report, Dyakala recommended that the affected sites be monitored around the clock by surveillance cameras, that palisade or Clearview fences be repaired or purchased and that security guards be deployed to the sites during the day and at night.

Dyakala reminded councillors about the resolution taken by council in December 2019 to insource security guards.

“I will never forget that day when I got a call from safety and security advising me that all the outsourced security guards have to vacate the sites because we will use insourced staff from the municipality.

“That’s when our problems started,” she told the committee.

“At the time, safety and security would go out with the outsourced guards to conduct an on-site assessment and provide a report from which we would avail a budget.

“The outsourced guards had the required tools of trade and they [had] supervision to ensure they were performing their duties but when we started to insource, all of this fell flat until today.”

Dyakala said it was out of frustration that officials were requesting a budget to be made available by the committee because the R5m budget for solid-waste had been removed through a council resolution.

ANC councillor Lorna Makwetu said all political parties were responsible for the resolution and it was clear that it had caused a problem.

“Mine is to say we can’t change this situation on our own as a committee.

“We need to make proposals here for the betterment of the city and ask council to support us.

“When we insourced the workers, we did so to assist members of the community who were sitting idle not knowing it was for the worst — this is an honest observation.

“I suggest there be political intervention to fix this issue.”

DA councillor Annette Lovemore said Dyakala’s comments about the insourcing of guards made sense.

“When insourcing took place, every last cent of the security budget of the different directorates for safety was transferred to the safety and security directorate.

“Since then, the directorates from whom the money was taken have never received a budget for safety and security.

“It’s a ridiculous situation and in the meantime our city is being vandalised, including the cemeteries, libraries and ward councillors offices. The drop-off centres are just an example.

“You, MMC [member of mayoral committee] have more power than we do, you handle discussions about budget, please raise the fact that we don’t have any money to secure the city’s facilities.”

Public health political head Thsonono Buyeye said he would facilitate a meeting with mayor Babalwa Lobishe, acting city manager Ted Pillay and different party representatives from the committee to address the issue.

The Herald