AfriForum demands information from Ekurhuleni Metro about refuse removal services

AfriForum submitted an application in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality on 25 June to provide full details of the Municipality’s refuse removal vehicles, contracts, service providers and information regarding the budget. AfriForum had already sent a formal letter to the Ekurhuleni Metro in May about the Metro’s poor refuse removal services but has not yet received any feedback.

Furthermore, the application demands clarity on why the Metro uses third parties to do their work on their behalf, while the community pays the Metro for their services. The community has the right to know how their money is spent and wants to know that their monthly expenses to the Metro contribute to the improvement of their town.

Gauteng’s landfill sites are moving closer to Day Zero with two of the five landfills in Ekurhuleni (Simmer and Jack in Germiston and Weltevreden in Brakpan) having less than a year left before reaching capacity. The Weltevreden landfill was closed in February this year due to illegal mining activities, while the Rietfontein landfill in Springs and the Rooikraal landfill in Boksburg reopened after temporary closures in April 2024 and March 2023 respectively.

“We are looking for answers, because communication and service delivery are clearly not the Ekurhuleni Municipality’s strengths. AfriForum’s East Rand branches are already busy delivering services to the community but will be able to achieve greater goals with the cooperation of the Ekurhuleni Metro,” says Nadia Olckers, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for the East Rand.

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