The City of Johannesburg’s Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Environment and Infrastructure Services Department, Councilor Jack Sekwaila, strongly condemns the burning of Pikitup waste collection trucks in Diepsloot today. This incident has been reported to the South African Police Service for investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the destruction of the company’s vehicles and to apprehend those responsible.
This incident is particularly concerning as it occurred following an amicable agreement reached yesterday (27 January 2026) with protesting casual workers, who had barricaded the depot’s gates in an attempt to force Pikitup to employ them. These actions were taken while their grievances were being addressed.
The agreement followed the intervention of MMC Cllr Jack Sekwaila and other stakeholders, including organised labour union, where all parties consented to return to work while the concerns raised by the protesting casual workers in Midrand, Marlboro, and Randburg were considered.
“Pikitup is a law-abiding entity and cannot be compelled to act unlawfully by hiring individuals outside prescribed legal and policy processes. Furthermore, the company’s management is present on the ground addressing the matter and wishes to assure residents that it is receiving urgent attention,” MMC stated.
“Today, in the afternoon, I personally visited the Randburg depot to check if work was continuing as agreed during our meeting yesterday. Upon my arrival, I discovered that the gates were still closed. However, I engaged with the casual workers and requested them to open the gates to allow trucks to go out and service our residents. After explaining the decision made in our meeting, we came to an understanding, and the gate was cleared.” MMC added.
“I would like to extend my sincere apologies to residents whose waste was not collected on the scheduled dates and assure them that work is underway to normalise waste collection services. A plan to clear waste collection backlogs in the affected areas has been developed. Residents will be kept informed of progress and notified should any further service disruptions arise during this period.” MMC Stated.
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