Stolen blue refuse bags could see a person facing criminal charges, the City warned as residents are again cautioned to refrain from buying its blue refuse bags off the streets.
“The City has added a penalty clause to the tenders for cleansing, which penalises the contractor financially for every stolen bag recovered that was originally issued to them. Reference numbers printed on the bag allow the City to identify which contractor is responsible,” said the mayoral committee member for Urban Waste Management, Grant Twigg.
If a person is found to be “unlawfully in possession of these blue bags”, they can be criminally charged with possession of stolen property, said the City, citing an incident that saw the courts impose a R5 000 fine on a person convicted for possession of stolen blue bags.
“Corruption and theft must be stopped. We are obligated to prevent this so that ratepayers and residents can receive the highest quality services possible. The theft of these bags means that they are being resold which has a knock-on effect on service delivery. Reporting the sale of these blue bags will help the City address the problem as quickly as possible,” said Twigg.
The problem has been ongoing as the City tires to clamp down on those found in possession of these stolen items. In December, 2016 metro police officers held a blue bag operation in conjunction with law enforcement officers where 2 151 City of Cape Town marked blue refuse bags were found at one house and the property owner arrested.
In 2018, the City’s metro police also arrested three suspects (aged 23, 27 and 40) for possession of City of Cape Town property in Goodwood, when they were found in possession of nearly 400 blue refuse bags. In 2019, 7 000 stolen blue refuse bags were reportedly confiscated and 30 people arrested.
Cape Town residents are requested to report the theft of blue refuse bags to the City on 0860 103 089.
Cape Times