Lerutla Bolsters Ekurhuleni Waste Services

City Manager hands over refurbished garbage trucks and engages waste collection employees on challenges

Ekurhuleni City Manager, Kagiso Lerutla, led the recommissioning of eight waste compactor trucks owned by the city at the Boksburg Waste Depot yesterday, 21 January 2025.

Aimed at strengthening frontline service delivery and restoring accountability, this initiative will promote greater environmental hygiene to ensure that communities in Ekurhuleni consistently have clean streets daily.

In his address to the city’s Waste Department employees, Lerutla shared his vision and unpacked the “Fixing the Frontline” programme.

“The purpose of fixing the frontline is to look at the challenges that our employees are facing and ensuring that we address those challenges. One of the key objectives is to build internal capacity. The current administration does not want to rely on contracted services. We want our workers to do the work; hence, one of the reasons we are here is to inspect the environment, look at the tools of trade, and inspect the trucks.

“We are here, colleagues, to listen to you and get a sense of what challenges you are facing, so that we can address them to ensure that the environment is conducive for you to be able to do your work.

“We have taken this step because we know that sitting in the office makes it difficult for us to get a sense of what is happening. Hence, we are on the ground so that we can listen to you and intervene,” Lerutla said

Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Environmental Resources and Waste Management, Leshaka Manamela, echoed Lerutla’s sentiments and encouraged the workers to continue with their diligent work while their challenges are being addressed.

Manamela zoomed in on the issues that the waste collection workers are grappling with.

“One of those issues is the tools of trade. In the main, we know your frustration when it comes to the trucks you are utilising, and most of the time you end up relying on outsourced trucks. Secondly, you have raised the issue of PPEs for some time, and we know at this time you do not have adequate PPE.

“So, we came to the depot to hear from yourselves and inspect the environment and the area you are operating in,” Manamela added.

Employees welcomed the opportunity to engage with the senior management team and got the opportunity to raise their key concerns and challenges. Lerutla committed to addressing these issues together with other senior leaders.