Hired trucks fail as Nelson Mandela Bay metro battles waste chaos

Angry Nelson Mandela Bay councillors grilled officials at a public health committee meeting on Thursday over chaos at the metro’s waste transfer sites.

Some of the sites reportedly had to be closed last weekend after privately hired trucks used to clear skips broke down.

Councillors at the meeting were stunned when they were informed by officials that the breakdowns were caused by the recent hot weather.

The municipality has been relying on five hired trucks to service 19 waste drop-off sites across the metro because its only municipal waste transfer truck has been undergoing repairs since October.

Last weekend, the ongoing dysfunction led to a heated confrontation between workers stationed at the Kragga Kamma Transfer Station and a frustrated resident who dumped waste outside the facility.

Problems also reportedly occurred at two other sites, including the transfer station at Hunter’s Retreat.

At the standing committee meeting on Thursday, DA councillor Mthokozisi Nkosi lashed out at directorate officials over what he described as an absurdity.

“In South Africa, we are telling people trucks are not working because it was hot,” Nkosi said.

“How do we even go back and explain that to residents without looking stupid?

“Because I feel stupid just explaining it.”

After the meeting, Nkosi said he had been informed via text message earlier in February by public health executive director Anna-Lisa Dyakala that three of the five hired trucks were out of service due to hydraulic failure linked to high temperatures.

“I cannot believe a metro does not have its own trucks, and then the trucks we do hire break down when the temperature is around 30 degrees.”

The spotlight fell on the state of the transfer stations during discussion on a progress report on the drop-off sites master plan.

According to waste management acting deputy director Lindelwa Mgijima, the municipality has been relying on two municipal trucks to service the outlying areas of the metro.

“The service of transferring bins was transferred to fleet management with seven trucks,” Mgijima said.

“Today, from those seven, we only have two.

“One was recently written off, and the last one has been in for repairs since October, which means there is currently no fully functional, municipal-owned waste transfer truck on the road.”

She said when the contract for the hiring of the five trucks started, the municipality’s two remaining trucks were intended to service outlying areas, including Blue Rise, Seaview, Colchester, Bluewater Bay and Motherwell.

Mgijima said all municipal waste sites had become increasingly congested, partly due to alleged illegal dumping by businesses at facilities intended for residential use.

The transfer stations were originally developed as free service sites, allowing residents to dispose of rubble and garden waste.

“The sites were meant for residents, but garden services and other businesses are making use of the sites and [allegedly] taking down the signs.

“This has become a burden on the workers there,” she said.

The master plan was set to consider the establishment of additional sites to handle general waste, bulky waste and recyclables.

According to the report presented to councillors, the city has identified and approved 17 possible sites, which require final approval by council.

Nkosi, however, hit out at the six-page report presented to the committee, pointing out that the information was from 2016.

“I was recently at the sites and I can tell you that is not what is on the ground; those places are considerably worse,” he said.

ANC councillor Lorna Makwetu said the conduct of hired workers was also contributing to frustrations at the sites.

“Since the start of this term we have been encountering a lot of problems with these sites and the workers, because inside some of the EPWP workers are [allegedly] consuming alcohol.

“I do not know why we do not have cameras, because it’s the only way we can catch the businesses [allegedly] vandalising municipal properties,” she said.

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