Rubbish has piled up in Ingonyama Street in Diepsloot Extension 2. Photo: Chris Gilili
13 May 2019
A huge pile of rubbish has built up on Ingonyama Street in Diepsloot Extension 2. The stink is awful. According to residents the garbage hasn’t been collected since March.
Johannes Mofokeng has lived in this area for 20 years. “We all suffer from the smell. We have even given up complaining about this rubbish,” says Mofokeng. “No human being deserves to stay in a place like this. There is rubbish all over. This filth attracts rats that end up inside our homes. We eat and breathe this bad smell, every day.”
Mofokeng complains that the ward councillor is hardly ever seen. “No meetings are ever held here. So, we don’t know who to take our complaints to. After these elections, it will be quiet. That will be all.”
His views are shared by Lindile Dlamini. “I don’t even know the councillor of this ward. The last time I saw her face was in 2016, when they were pleading that we vote for her to be councillor. She never comes to the people.”
Ward 95 councillor Kate Mphahlele said she is aware of the rubbish. “Pikitup has been experiencing internal challenges with the City. That is why the rubbish has not been collected for this long. I can assure however that we are looking at fixing this issue as soon as possible. It is also not an ideal sight for me to see the area I lead in such filth,” said Mphahlele.
Attempts to speak to Pikitup were unsuccessful.
Busi Mokoena of the City of Johannesburg’s waste removal department said: “We are not aware that refuse has not been collected in Diepsloot Ext 2. I can promise that we will look into it. We will get in touch with Pikitup and check what the problem is.”