WastePreneurs, a waste collection non-profit organisation has been evicted from the Pirates Club, in Greenside, which is controlled by the City of Johannesburg. But it is currently utilising the premises.
The recycling
initiative, now in its third year, said that they were served with a letter of
eviction by the city on May 03. The management was given
notification that it could no longer operate on the property leased
to the Pirates Club.
It is
believed that money changes hand between WastePreneurs and the Pirates club,
which goes against the city’s laws and by-laws.
However, both
parties refute the claim.
The City of
Johannesburg announced that recycling will become mandatory as of July 01,
WaterPreneurs think it’s ironic that the city introduces compulsory recycling
and then evicts a successful waste collection organisation. The NPO management
is concerned about effects of evicting WastePreneurs, including the livelihoods
of waste pickers who bring recyclables to them.
Steve Jordan
of WastePreneurs said making recycling compulsory was a good initiative but it
shouldn’t affect them badly
“This is the
right decision, but it needs to be managed correctly to ensure that the
recyclable waste does not end up in landfills and that incorporates the
existing informal waste collection structures.
It should
assist the existing informal waste collectors if they can be incorporated into
the new developments.”
“[Our wish]
is for WastePreneurs to continue operating as it has over the years and to
become an intricate part of the new waste recycling developments within the
city,” he added.
Jordan said
the waste collectors who are operating through the WastePreneurs would be
severely affected economically by the city’s decision to evict them.
“Their
monthly earnings would be reduced by at least 60% forcing them deeper into
poverty.
“They would
also be deprived of a controlled area to sort their waste and would be forced
to go back to sorting in open public spaces,” he said.
Nthatisi
Modingoane, communication acting director for the City of Johannesburg said the
city has to follow and enforce laws.
“The City of
Johannesburg’s Property Management entity has a long term lease with Pirates
Club in Greenside. According to the lease agreement, Pirates are not allowed to
sublet or allocate space to other tenants,” said Modingoane.
“This means
they did not follow the contract and they were notified accordingly through a
letter.”
Even so,
WastePreneurs claimed that the Pirates Club did not receive any financial gain
from the NPO’s utilisation of the leased land.
In a
statement released by WastePreneurs, it is alleged that an undisclosed official
from the Council visited the property and verbally abused the NPO’s management.
Modingoane
said: “The due processes were followed in this regard and court order to uphold
this will be applied for in keeping with the due processes.”
