Pikitup the waste management company of the City of Johannesburg has taken a decision to continue with the closure of the Panorama Garden Site to safeguard residents and their property from a group of people who congregate outside the site intimidating residents.
The site was temporarily closed from the (04 March 2021) while Pikitup is working closely with various stakeholders including law enforcement agencies sought a permanent solution to the problem. The solution has not yet been found because law enforcement agencies do not have enough capacity to patrol the site on a 24 hour basis to ensure the safety of residents and staff.
In the interim, Pikitup is working on the possibility of contracting armed security service providers for a predetermined period of time, who will provide security services to ensure the safety of residents. Upon completion of the procurement process the site will be re-opened for residents to dispose their waste.
Residents will remember that on the (22 February 2021), Pikitup assisted by law enforcement agencies such as the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police, South African Police Services and the representatives from the Home Affairs Department raided the area and removed both South Africans and foreign nationals from the site with the hope that the site will be rid of this group of people who intimidate and demand money from residents to dispose of their waste.
However, the gains of the raid have proved to be short lived as the entrance to the site yet again is littered with a group of people again. It is against this backdrop that Pikitup is currently engaging in a procurement process to obtain the necessary assistance from service providers from the armed security industry to assist with the problem.
Pikitup is appealing to residents in the interim residents to dispose of their garden waste at two alternative sites that are closest to the Panorama Garden site which are:
1. Penny Road Garden Site
Situated at Penny road corner Nic Toomey in Roodepoort West
2. Fairlands Garden Site
Situated on the corner of Smit Street and 5th Street in Fairlands
Meanwhile, the resources working at Panorama Garden Site will be deployed to the two alternative sites to deal with the additional garden waste that will be brought to those sites.
Pikitup apologises for any inconvenience caused and appeals to residents to use the two sites while the problem at the Panorama Garden Site is being addressed.
End.
For more information, please contact:
Muzi Mkhwanazi
071 312 7757
muzimkhwanazi@pikitup.co.za
