Orrin Singh23 May 2024 | 7:23

City of Joburg claims ActionSA driving force behind recent Pikitup strike

The city has seen rubbish piling up for over a week, after contract employees from Pikitup stopped working and began striking.

City of Joburg claims ActionSA driving force behind recent Pikitup strike

FILE: Johannesburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda. Picture: X/KabeloGwamanda

JOHANNESBURG - The City of Johannesburg is claiming that ActionSA is the driving force behind the recent Pikitup strike.

Rubbish has been piling up in the city for over a week due to the work stoppage by contract employees.

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Johannesburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda said ActionSA was the political hand behind the strike.

His spokesperson, Mlimandlela Ndamase, said: “The mayor has raised his views that ActionSA and its leaders have directly influenced and sponsored the disruption of services to nearly a million residences and businesses across the city.”

ActionSA spokesperson Michael Beaumont, however, refuted Gwamanda’s claims, adding they were only roped in to assist Pikitup workers after the strike began.

“The truth is that this strike began after his government promised permanent employment to casual workers in the Pikitup environment, and then proceeded to do what the ANC [African National Congress] and coalition partners of theirs have always done and go ahead and recruit the family members and relatives of people in the ANC and their political circles. That is what has caused this strike.”