Yesterday evening, Jozi@Work members went on the rampage in Hillbrow in the Inner City by overturning garbage bins, littering extensively, burning tyres and threatening Pikitup staff who were busy with their cleaning shift.
In his 2016/17 Adjustment Budget speech, Mayor Herman Mashaba announced that an additional R49,2 million has been allocated to Pikitup in a bid to clean up our City. This is through additional cleaning shifts in the Inner City and within our informal settlements.
Due to the volatile situation, about 600 Pikitup workers who were due to start with the additional cleaning shift in Hillbrow this evening, cannot continue as their safety cannot be guaranteed at this time.
I have engaged MMC for Public Safety, Michael Sun about this matter, and have been informed that the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) and Pikitup will strategise how best to work together to ensure the safety of Pikitup workers.
However, the City will not be deterred from delivering services to residents of Johannesburg and this evening, cleaning will continue in other areas surrounding the Inner City. Should circumstances allow, a shift will also be deployed to the Inner City this afternoon.
Damaging City infrastructure, threatening and intimidating Pikitup workers and hampering the City from delivering services to the residents of Johannesburg who have a right to quality service delivery, must be condemned in the strongest terms.