Contracts for the hotspot cleaning team, a Sub-council 16 operational project, which has been cleaning up homeless and public spaces for almost 18 months, has come to an end.
Staff from the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) gathered at the City of Cape Town chambers to mark the end of their contract last Friday.
The vast majority of the staff were homeless and lived in City shelters, specifically the Safe Spaces.
Sub-council 16 chairman Matthew Kempthorne, Sub-council 16 manager Girshwin Fouldien, and Ward 115 councillor Ian McMahon commended the workers for their efforts in Wards 54, 55, 57, 77, and 115.
“The impact they had on the five wards was immense and to have them mobile and cleaning up at the hotspot sites was immense. This was a trial run and and we are glad that we will be doing this again in the new fiscal year. There were less complaints and residents could see the impact they had,” said Mr McMahon.
Mr Kempthorne said visitors to the city benefited from the hotspot cleaning teams that worked to keep public spaces clean with a quicker response time.
“This project will continue and we will try to expand it as that will make us more responsive to the immediate needs of the residents, for example if there’s illegal dumping then it will be done immediately and not after a day or two,” he said.
Mr Fouldien said keeping public restrooms clean is difficult, especially during the holiday season when more people arrive.
“There was a risk that the ablution facilities could be closed and that would have created problems for the communities but we managed to redeploy our cleaning teams to manage these facilities so that it stays open, clean and operational,” he said.
Manfred Petersen, 32, worked as a supervisor and driver for EPWP teams and said he will miss the camaraderie of his co-workers.
“We worked hard and well together to clean up the homeless spots and we did our best to keep the city clean. It was a good experience and hopefully we will be recalled,” Mr Petersen said.
Natalie Manuel, 50, who worked as a supervisor for the EPWP teams for 14 months, says that while the work was demanding, the experience was enjoyable since the City management were encouraging.
“I’m sober now for 18 months. They put me in the Matrix programme which included psychological assistance and Mr Girshwin was always there for us. The best part about the job is the people I worked with and I hope we can do it again,” Ms Manuel said.
Mr Fouldien said some of the workers have left throughout the year as they found other employment opportunities.
“We had over 30 people employed and some of them moved on to other employment and this makes them more independent and secure. They become assets to their families and communities and this is part of the project’s success,” he said.
Mr Fouldien said staff understand that the contracts must terminate owing to the City’s policy on temporary employment restrictions, which began in 2020.
