Joburg mayor hails Pikitup’s ‘Jozi@Work’ programme
JOHANNESBURG Executive Mayor Parks Tau has hailed Pikitup’s achievement for being the first Joburg municipal owned entity to fully implement provisions of the ground-breaking Jozi@Work programme, as a clear demonstration of the entity’s people-centric approach to business.
He said Pikitup’s strategic approach contributes towards poverty alleviation sustainable job creation, and enterprise development.
Jozi@Work, launched in September 2014, is a programme comprising work packages valued at over R1 billion designed to create an opportunity for communities to partner with the City in the delivery of municipal services in their own neighbourhoods. It is also aimed at shifting mind-sets by ‘turning job seekers into job creators’; in a bid to aid socioeconomic transformation by reducing poverty, inequality and unemployment in the seven regions across the City. Through Jozi@Work over 7213 new enterprises were contracted through a range of community development packages.
Pikitup has, through the Jozi@Work initiative, achieved great milestones in encouraging residents to generate less waste by reusing it; separating it at source to facilitate recycling; exploring other waste management trends, and assisting with the establishment of cooperatives to drive the collection of waste and recyclables. More than 6 000 tons of waste is collected daily by Pikitup.
“Our strategic plan is in line with our community partnership and economic empowerment programme- Jozi@Work. Pikitup is the first Joburg municipal company to implement Jozi@Work fully. The first corps to be involved with the programme are associated with the Zondi Buy Back Centre. Ten clusters of co-ops across the Soweto area are now engaged in clearing illegal dumpsites, street clearing and managing separated waste at source, at dump and landfills. Similar work pages are being rolled out throughout the City,” said Mayor Tau, at the Johannesburg Waste Summit 2015.
The Zondi Buy Back Centre is an approved community based multi-recycling entity in Soweto that has since 2005 been buying recyclable waste from residents to sell on to recycling organisations. It currently employs 30 people and provides indirect employment opportunities to more than 500 reclaimers who earn an income by supplying recyclables.
Leading the Pikitup team is managing director Amanda Nair, who said that the entity remains committed to ensuring a paradigm shift among all stakeholders towards an understanding that waste is not ‘rubbish’, but a resource or a raw material.
“Whilst we play a leadership role in ensuring a full cycle approach towards waste management, we encourage our customers and the general public to be part of the solution. That is why we are moving full steam ahead with our projects of Separation at Source across the City. At Pikitup we believe that if communities are mobilised to sort waste at a household level, that will go a long way in waste reduction and the creation of a clean City.”
Added Nair: “Separation at Source has initially been implemented in 8 (eight) depot areas and the focus is to ensure increased participation by residents from 17% to 50%, through education and awareness activities. This increase in participation will result in increased tonnages of waste diverted from landfills.”
Nair explained that 668 jobs and 24 cooperatives were created through this programme. “This is a considerable contribution towards job creation and poverty alleviation and it is expected to increase as the programme will be incorporated in the Jozi@Work initiative on a citywide basis,” the Managing Director said. She said Pikitup remained committed to its vision to be the leading integrated waste management company in Africa.
“One area of great priority within Pikitup is the participation by the community in integrated waste management through the implementation of the Jozi@Work programme which has resulted in job creation, enterprise development, and entrepreneur opportunities thereby increasing the waste sector contribution to the green economy,” Nair said.