The managing director of Pikitup, Zami Nkosi, has resigned with immediate effect, the City of Johannesburg said on Saturday.
“A successor for Mr Nkosi will be announced by the end of next week after the sitting of the mayoral committee,” spokesperson Gabu Tugwana said.
Refuse workers at the waste management agency went on strike on Thursday, demanding among other things, that an internal investigation be commissioned into allegations of corruption and irregular tenders.
They also wanted Nkosi to be suspended, pending the investigation.
Tugwana said negotiations with the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) to resolve the strike would continue during the weekend.
Samwu on Thursday threatened to approach the Public Protector about alleged corruption at Pikitup if its demands were not met.
Samwu spokesperson Tahir Sema said the union had given the city manager “reasonable time” to make an intervention, and if that failed, they would approach the special investigations unit.
Tugwana was confident that services would resume soon.
“Contingency plans are also under way to ease the pressure on uncollected garbage,” he said.
In the meantime, residents were asked to take their refuse to the following Pikitup depots; Goudkoppies in Devland, Marie Louise in Roodepoort, Robinson Deep in Turffontein and Ennerdale. – Sapa