Workers set fire to refuse trucks in South Africa’s richest city

Following an “amicable agreement” between the city of Johannesburg, Pikitup, and its protesting casual workers, two Pikitup trucks were burned in Diepsloot, Soweto.

The waste collection trucks were burned hours after a meeting was held following almost two weeks of protests from casual workers, who say they have been waiting for permanent employment contracts for years. 

The Johannesburg MMC for environment and infrastructure, Jack Sekwaila, said that the circumstances surrounding the destruction of Pikitup’s company vehicles and those responsible are still not known at this stage, but he suspects the striking workers played a role. 

“These actions were taken while their grievances were being addressed,” said Sekwaila. The incident has now been reported to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for further investigation.

Sekwaila said that Pikitup and the casual workers reached an agreement on 27 January, whereby all parties consented to return to work, while the concerns raised by the workers “were considered.”

However, following the meeting, Sekwaila said he returned to the Randburg Pikitup Depot on 28 January, which had been barricaded to prevent trucks from going out to collect rubbish.

“Upon my arrival, I discovered that the gates were still closed,” he said. He added that he engaged with workers and explained the decisions made during the meeting. He says the gate was cleared following this discussion.

However, the act of arson indicates that some workers feel that their grievances have still not been met by the city and the company. 

Meanwhile, rubbish has continued to pile up in Randburg as residents await the normalisation of refuse collection services. 

Pikitup catch-up plan uncertain

Pikitup has published a recovery plan to collect outstanding rubbish, which is set to commence today and will take up to a week to complete. 

Ward 104 councillor Emi Koekemoer said that it has not yet been communicated to residents what effect the act of arson will have on protests or the resumption of collection services.

The DA’s Johannesburg caucus leader, Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku, said that she discussed continued disruptions with Pikitup officials, who said that following the agreement, any further work stoppages will be treated as criminality.

The DA is tabling an urgent debate in council today, requesting that residents who have not had their refuse collected for two weeks should have a reprieve from Pikitup charges.

The work stoppage began on 15 January, as protesting employees went on strike to demand permanent contracts, which they said were promised to them in 2023. 

According to the city, officials and Pikitup are working 24/7 to manage the situation, and the matter is under review, but cannot be resolved outside of lawful governance processes. 

Workers said that permanent jobs at Pikitup have been awarded based on nepotism, not on experience or merit. 

In his latest update, Sekwaila said that the request for Pikitup to review its recruitment process is complex. 

“Pikitup is a law-abiding entity, and cannot be compelled to act unlawfully by hiring individuals outside prescribed legal and policy processes,” he said. 

“Furthermore, the company’s management is present on the ground addressing the matter and wishes to assure residents that it is receiving urgent attention.”