Ekurhuleni: High hopes trashed as hundreds of millions promised to community contractors evaporate
by Tabelo Timse for amaBhungane, Daily Maverick
July 20, 2021
Ekurhuleni: High hopes trashed as hundreds of millions promised to community contractors evaporate
by Tabelo Timse for amaBhungane, Daily Maverick July 20, 2021 Month after month, John Buthelezi (not his real name) and his little team emptied bins, picked up litter, cleaned the streets of Ekurhuleni and emptied containers. Buthelezi had been promised that after five years he would have R3-million in his bank account, two trucks and access to business qualifications.
File
An
Ekurhuleni waste management project to upgrade small-scale community operators
into viable businesses has ended in acrimony.
The city
laid out R1.2 billion – but community operators complain they were
short-changed by companies appointed to mentor them.
At fault
is the city s failure to monitor companies which provided mentoring, or to keep
watch on how the funding was allocated.
Month after month, John Buthelezi (not
his real name) and his little team emptied bins, picked up litter, cleaned the
streets of Ekurhuleni and emptied containers. Buthelezi had been promised that
after five years, he would have R3 million in his bank account, two trucks and