In an address to the nation on March 30th, President Cyril Ramaphosa recognised refuse workers as the ‘unsung heroes’ of South Africa, commending their activity during the Covid-19 pandemic as an essential service. One such company, X10siv Waste Management, based in Pietermaritzburg, has continued their work on the frontlines despite the odds stacking against them.
“I think Ramaphosa’s words are a very prudent and observant recognition of those who have the most demeaning of the frontline jobs,” said Marc Adam, owner and director of X10siv. Everybody remembers the doctors and nurses, and they are imperative, but for him to have thought about waste removal I think is pretty noteworthy.”
Two types of skips are provided by the business, who drop off clean skips and empty refuse as necessary. PHOTO: X10siv website
Marc Adam, founder and director of X10siv Waste Management. PHOTO: Facebook/Marc Adam
Yet Adam says his business will undoubtedly take a beating. It has lost approximately half of its customers as a result of lockdown, as hotels, restaurants and other non-essential companies have been forced to pack up shop – and with 35 employees in his personnel, there are many human lives in precarious positions.
The decision to extend the lockdown was met with anxiety from Adam’s employees. However, he said that he would rather cut his own salary than let any of his workers go unpaid.
With some hospitals and supermarkets, like Checkers, as well as estates still producing waste, X10siv has not come to a standstill. But although it might be an essential service, if even one employee gets sick, the doors will be closed.
“We are working with fear”
Robert Malizani, who has been working for X10siv for 9 years as a driver, holds the same sentiments. “If the company is closed, it will suffer, which means that we suffer,” he said. The Covid-19 pandemic has him and his colleagues embarking for work in fear.
Robert Malizani spares a moment to be photographed in front of his truck between his morning’s collections. PHOTO: Marc Adam
“Coronavirus has changed us a lot. We are working with fear. We want to work, but when we think about the virus, we are distracted, not like before. This time around, our interest is not there,” Malizani said. Now concerned about the future of the business to which he has devoted so many years, he worries for his safety coming into contact with waste and customers.
However, according to Malizani, there is a silver lining. Adam has distributed masks, gloves, sanitizer and clean uniforms to his employees. By spraying the trucks and uniforms each day, as well as donning masks and gloves, Malizani said that he feels considerably protected.
Compactor driver Samson Mbotela wears his mask before making his next collection. PHOTO: Marc Adam
X10siv’s sole compactor, which functions to crush non-recyclable refuse into small bundles before being disposed at the landfill. PHOTO: Marc Adam
Adam has also sent a notification to his currently operational clients in the hopes of better ensuring the safety of his staff. “I’m doing this to tighten up on policy, so as to be more rigid and enforcing that waste is appropriately contained to minimise the risk of the staff in the handling thereof. It needs to be contained in the bag,” Adam asserted. The unfortunate fact preceding this plea is the nature of refuse to be disposed of loosely in waste and rubbish skip areas.
Avoiding environmental catastrophe
A pressing issue emerges from the business’s usual focus on recycling. The nation-wide lockdown has caused the prices of recyclables to plummet. “On a normal occasion, recycling is money. So whatever recyclable materials we can recover from waste, the less weight goes to the landfill. So, the environment scores. But we also score with less dump rates,” Adam said. Now, X10siv has lost a large turnover in that regard.
X10siv makes use of colour-coded bins to assist clients in their recycling efforts. PHOTO: X10siv website
X10siv works closely with the Pietermaritzburg landfill site and its personnel in its efforts to keep Pietermaritzburg clean. “There will be a large influx of domestic and light industry refuse which is to be catered for by the municipality,” said civil engineer consultant Mageshan Govender, landfill site manager. This will result in tremendous operational issues, according to Govender. Soon after lockdown was imposed, the Msunduzi municipality sent out a circular to advise clients that waste will now be collected fortnightly instead of weekly, informed Adam.
Images of waste piling up within the Chase Valley area of Pietermaritzburg. PHOTOS: Marc Adam
“Should the waste not be attended to, then this will most definitely lead to illegal dumping within the city and create an environmental catastrophe,” Govender said. In this regard, the efforts of X10siv do not go unnoticed. Govender added that private waste companies like X10siv serve to ensure that refuse removal and disposal is conducted in a legal manner during these dire times.
The Pietermaritzburg landfill serves as a dumping ground for the city’s waste. PHOTO: Robert Malizani