Collect township rubbish soon – or else, ANC warns

THE ANC has threatened to mobilise a mass march to the Port Elizabeth City Hall and dump rubbish in front of the council chamber if it is not collected in the townships within the next few days.

This comes as the impasse between the municipality and refuse workers over five months of unpaid lunch hours and basic working conditions has yet to be resolved.

ANC regional spokesman Gift Ngqondi said the municipality had not collected rubbish in the townships and northern areas for the past three weeks while giving so-called white communities preference.

“For example, [the municipality] collects refuse/rubbish twice a week in the white leafy suburbs while for the past three weeks refuse collection for the poor and working-class communities of New Brighton, Walmer, Kwazakhele, Motherwell, Veeplaas, KwaNobuhle, KwaLanga, Helenvale, Gelvandale, Joe Slovo, Chatty, Khayelitsha and Acardia has been non-existent,” he said.

“Piles of rubbish can be seen torn apart in the streets of our townships while refuse is even picked up in the middle of the night at Summerstrand, Lorraine, Kabega Park and all privileged areas of the metro under security watch.

“We want to warn [mayor Athol] Trollip that if refuse/rubbish is not collected within the next few days, we will mobilise all our communities to march to City Hall and dump all non-collected refuse/rubbish in front of the council chamber.”

Trollip’s spokesman, Sibongile Dimbaza, said: “Refuse collection in Kwazakhele and other township areas will begin today as we were targeting the northern areas over the weekend.

“We ask for patience from our residents and assure them that we are doing our best to address the backlog.”