Pikitup denies Mkhwebane's claim that it's ignoring remedial action

One of the entities named by public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane for failing to comply with her remedial action, Pikitup, is adamant that it has, in fact, complied.

At a media briefing on Thursday,  Mkhwebane said Pikitup, Johannesburg's waste management service provider, was one of more than 30 public entities that had not complied with a report she released in October last year.

The report dealt with allegations of maladministration relating to Pikitup's supply chain management processes, recruitment and selection policies and misconduct arising from theft of Pikitup cellphones.

Among the remedial action mentioned by Mkhwebane was that the chairperson of the Pikitup board must ensure that, within 60 days of the report, disciplinary steps were taken against all implicated officials of Pikitup who subverted the Municipal Finance Management Act and Pikitup’s supply chain management policy in this matter.

In its response on Friday, Pikitup said it was alarmed and shocked at the assertion that it has not complied with the public protector’s directive - as this was simply untrue.

"The Pikitup board has complied with all the remedial action as per the public protector’s directive.

"The public protector received a progress report on the remedial action that Pikitup was instructed by her office to implement on December 31 2019 and on January 28 2019 respectively."

Pikitup said following the negative aspersions it would "engage with" the public protector to register its "deep disappointment with the incorrect reporting which had the potential of further harming Pikitup’s reputation".

Mkhwebane said she had decided to take the course of naming and shaming the officials and departments as it was impossible for her office to go to court to ensure the implementation of the remedial action in these cases.