To enhance waste management, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has introduced seven state-of-the-art waste collection trucks, in what the municipality believes marks a considerable investment in the metro’s public health infrastructure and service delivery efficiency.
The Member of the Mayoral Committee for Public Health, Councillor Thsonono Buyeye, praised the arrival of this new fleet, presented by Fleet Management, as a crucial financial boost poised to alleviate pressures on the department.
To reduce dependence on outsourced waste collection services, the council has implemented a three-year fleet recapitalisation plan, allocating R30 million annually, starting this year.
Buyeye emphasised that this acquisition will significantly ease financial pressures, allowing the municipality to enhance other vital public health services.
Equipped with cutting-edge technology, these trucks are designed to improve the metro’s waste collection efficacy.
With enhanced capacity and advanced lifting gear, they can collect larger waste volumes more efficiently, streamlining the entire waste management process.
“As a Municipality, we are thrilled to see these trucks arrive, as they will enhance our service delivery. Although vandalism of municipal assets, including waste collection vehicles, remains a challenge, we are optimistic.
“With the support of law enforcement and the community, we can protect these valuable assets to ensure public health services reach every corner of our city,” Buyeye said.
In response to ongoing vandalism issues, the municipality has taken measures to safeguard the new fleet.
A robust security strategy is in place to prevent theft and damage, ensuring the fleet’s longevity and effectiveness, municipal spokesperson, Sithembiso Soyaya, revealed.
Councillor Buyeye called on residents to collaborate with the municipality and law enforcement to protect and preserve municipal assets.
In November last year, the PE Express reported that the NMBM had introduced strategic litter bins in Gqeberha and Kariega, in an effort to strengthen the metro’s ongoing waste management and beautification drive.
At the time, Buyeye said, “We are embarking on making sure that our city is clean, not just because we are approaching the summer season but because this is the standard that we want to keep.
“Bins play a major role in making sure that people do not litter. They must have an option of where to put their litter.“
He further added, “This is part of our fight against illegal dumping that we continue to see in our city, but we are making sure that we win this battle as a city.
“Cleanliness brings other positive spin-offs for the city as we are starting to see tourists coming into our city. We are going to see more people coming into our city, and we want to make sure that the city is clean, and this is just a start.”
In his concluding remarks this year, the MMC for Public Health proudly declared the new waste collection fleet operational and ready to hit the streets, ushering in a new era of efficient, effective and sustainable waste collection services.
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