The City of Tshwane has asked the Gauteng SAPS to join forces with it in a fight against criminal attacks on waste removal trucks allegedly perpetrated by disgruntled former service providers.
At least 60% of the previous waste contractors failed to meet the stringent tender specifications, which required them to own trucks not older than nine years, fitted with tracking devices and have valid e-Natis documents.
The new tender known as the SS01 waste removal contract was met with resistance from former contractors after it was implemented on July 15.
The plea by the municipality comes in the wake of an attack orchestrated this week when two trucks were pelted with stones, resulting in damages on their windscreens.
An official was rushed to a hospital for medical treatment after sustaining injuries in the head.
The latest incident happened in Heatherly near Vista university on Solomon Mahlangu Drive just two months after another truck was stoned in Mamelodi while en route to a landfill site.
Municipal manager Johann Mettler has strongly condemned the dastardly acts and called on communities to identify those behind criminal activities.
He said: “We have approached SAPS at the provincial level to join forces with us in our fight against these crimes against the State.”
Since the first incident in July, the City said it enlisted the services of the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) to escort waste collection trucks.
Mettler said: “TMPD is also on high alert to clamp down harshly on anyone who partakes in acts of violence against the city property or private property. The cowardly and thuggish attack on the waste trucks will not deter us from continuing to render services to our communities.”
City spokesperson Selby Bokaba said the contractor withdrew the two trucks as a precautionary safety measure and that consequently normal collection schedules will be disrupted in regions 5 and 6 this week.
Areas were rubbish was yet to be collected include Mamelodi Ext 20 (Phase 5), Weavind Park, Lindo Park Ext 0,1,3, Koedoespoort Industrial, Derdepoort Ext 0,1,3 and 65, Cullinan, Lewzene, Refilwe Ext 4 and Phumzile Park.
Bokaba pleaded with customers to bear with the municipality as it put plans in place to address the backlog caused by this week's violent attack on trucks.
In a separate incident, he said, a team of water and sanitation technicians was attacked on Tuesday afternoon in Mamelodi while installing the pressure monitoring points.
“Their truck was stoned, fortunately, they managed to escape unharmed,”he said.
He said the attack was directly related to City’s efforts to address the perennial water supply challenges to Ikageng and surrounding areas.
The Star