This is according to DA Councillor, Tjaart van der Walt, who says the scheduled removal of household waste remains a serious problem with potentially devastating health consequences for Mangaung. The delay in waste removal creates a breeding and feeding ground for rodents and other pests. The waste will eventually block the storm water drain system, and this will have dire consequences in the already poorly maintained water and sewerage infrastructure.

The DA Mangaung Caucus says it is following a multi-faceted approach within the boundaries of what the law allows an opposition party to do. This includes interventions on local, provincial, and national level, as well as legal action against the Metro to try and force it to provide acceptable services. The party calls on all households, street groups, churches, businesses, schools and all civil society organisations to collectively organise to manage waste in their immediate vicinity.

According to the spokesperson of the Mangaung Metro, the Solid Waste Directorate is attending to the refuse collection backlog that was caused as a result of staff shortages. This approach will roll out in phases. This week, the team has been working on backlogs in Bloemfontein north and the CBD; and will move to stabilise the south next week. He says as part of the cost-containment measures, the city has contained overtime and a result the waste collection schedule was affected.

The department head, Mr Sello More, and managers have joined the teams for the duration of the week to ensure that they attend to the backlog and that they return to the normal schedule.

OFM News/Elsabe Richard