Pikitup has started to clean up areas in Johannesburg that have been heavily affected by a recent waste collection backlog.

Muzi Mkhwanazi, spokesperson for Pikitup says there were unacceptable levels of waste in parts of Alexandra, Hillbrow, Joubert Park, Doornfontein and Mayfair. According to Mkhwanazi the backlog comes as a result of contracts that were not renewed in time.

“Processes [were] in place to see how we could absorb some of these contract workers into Pikitup. The processes took too long, and their contracts ended. So we had to use limited staff to clean in certain areas,” Mkhwanazi explains.

He notes that contract workers started cleaning and clearing the areas from around 20:00 on Tuesday. “There has never been a time where Pikitup services were discontinued in the affected areas,” he concludes. – News24