NMB Municipality probing syndicate that's stripped 16 waste collection trucks of engines, gearboxes

GQEBERHA - The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in the Eastern Cape is reeling from a criminal syndicate vandalising its waste collection trucks.

In March, it emerged that 16 out-of-service trucks were stripped of essential parts while parked at different municipal depots.

Many of the vandalised trucks were out of service for years, due to the metro’s failure to repair and maintain them.

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The shortage of refuse collection trucks continues to be one of the most pressing issues in the metro, with waste piling up in some townships.

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has launched an investigation into the criminal syndicate responsible for stripping 16 waste collection trucks of their engines and gearboxes.

However, this has raised several questions, as these trucks were stripped while parked at municipal depots that were secured by security guards.

A month later, the metro is still clueless about how this happened and is hoping the ongoing investigation will provide some answers.

Nelson Mandela Bay mayor and regional African National Congress (ANC) leader, Babalwa Lobishe, said heads would have to roll.

"We will install cameras there and beef up the management of resources at fleet management and accountability of staff. There are loose ends in terms of management and accountability on the losses that we incurred in that particular unit."

President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Cabinet are set to kickstart their two-day visit to the Eastern Cape on Tuesday, to assess the state of the province.

This is similar to Ramaphosa’s visit to Gauteng in March, where he complained about the poor state of Johannesburg.