Residents of Ward 89 and surrounds will soon have access to a fully fledged and convenient recycling site following the completion of the upgrades to the Panorama Garden Site on Pranticole Avenue.
Despite a number of hiccups that affected the process, Ward 89 councillor Amelia Bester indicated that the multi-million rand project was in its final phase.
“The project was started about two years ago when just short of R3 million was allocated for this upgrade, but it did not finish on time or within the allocated budget,” she said.
Amelia said that the contractor encountered underground water issues during the first phase of the project, which caused delays as the contractor had to apply for additional funds. “Extra funding was made available, allowing the work to resume,” she stated.
She added that the final stage also faced delays due to the appointment of the community liaison officer (CLO) and local labour, which she claimed was marred by political interference by business forums. “I was quite strict on this issue of the CLO appointment because it should be someone from the ward,” she explained.
Although a councillor has no influence over any appointments, she said, “We can verify that the applicant lives in the ward.
“We also had some work stoppages because of local labour issues – some people [business forums] were trying to make it difficult, but we, alongside Pikitup management and the Johannesburg Metro Police Department, were able to deal with them,” she explained.
This project may be a good investment for the City; however, the neighbouring residents wanted the site to be relocated to another area due to the noise and health hazard it used to pose in the past. The residents went to the extent of signing a petition to have it removed from the area.
However, Amelia explained why the site would remain. “The City does not have such facilities and if we close this one down, residents will have nowhere to take their refuse and this will exacerbate the issue of illegal dumping,” she said.
Instead, she promised that the upgraded site would be better managed. “I’ve received a lot of complaints from the residents to whom the site has caused discomfort. In the past there was a lot of mismanagement, with guards taking bribes resulting in illegal dumping of all sorts. And the compactor caused a lot of dust. However, as part of the upgrades, we are trying to address these issues by putting up a screen and moving the compactor to the far side of the site to accommodate the residents and ensure better management. Another measure being put in place will be to close the back section to prevent the displaced people from entering,” Amelia detailed.
Joseph Chauke from Epic Engineering foresees that the project will be completed by the end of November
The convenience of this upgraded site, according to Amelia, it will be a recycling hub where residents can deposit recyclable material such as paper, glass and electronic ware. A contractor will be appointment to sort the material.
Residents are urged to contact the CLO, Vernon Seward on 082 875 9513 or send an email to seward.vernon@gmail.com with any related questions.
