City wastes no time with winter readiness

02 June 2023

Since the beginning of May 2023 the City’s Urban Waste Management Directorate’s R48 million Winter Preparedness Programme has been rolling out across Cape Town. This is a seasonal programme, run by the Cleansing Branch, that primarily focuses on preventing stormwater blockages and flooding that comes with winter rains in hotspot areas. This is in addition to ongoing services provided all year-round.

The City of Cape's Urban Waste Management Cleansing Branch is ramping up efforts to help prevent flooding and pollution of rivers and waterways that comes with the arrival of winter rains. With the first heavy rains a lot of litter and green organic waste are washed into storm drains which then causes blockages and floods, or ends up flowing out into our rivers/vleis and eventually the ocean.

This year UWM is spending R48 million on its Winter Readiness Programme which runs five days a week, Monday to Friday, and with teams working eight-hour shifts daily. This is in addition to normal cleansing activities.

City’s Urban Waste Management Directorate’s R48 million Winter Preparedness Programme has been rolling out across Cape Town

1 of 3

The programme activities include:

• Street sweeping and litter picking on open spaces, verges and river banks
• Removal of illegal dumping that may cause blockages and floods
• Installing and servicing street litter bins and 770 litre litter bins
• Street washing by means of water tank vehicles
• Scheduled mechanical street sweeping of highways and byways
• Removal of seal carcasses from beaches
  

This year the programme sees a total of 1 398 temporary EPWP recruitment opportunities.

Recruitment for cleansing can be challenging as many communities will only accept workers who live in their immediate area. However efforts are being made to ensure service disruptions are minimised as much as possible.

'We ask residents to please keep in mind that littering is one of the main causes of flooding during winter rains. When litter is dropped on the street it can be washed into drains and can cause a blockage that could flood a road or people's homes.

'While UWM is doing what we can, our residents also have a part to play to help reduce the risk of flooding. Don't dump, rather please use the solid waste services provided to get rid of your waste. We further urge communities to take part in clean-up campaigns as it is all our responsibility to keep Cape Town clean,' said Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Alderman Grant Twigg.

End 

Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office