• About
  • Download Mobile App
  • Get In Touch
Ubumbano Voice
No Result
View All Result
Ubumbano Voice
No Result
View All Result
Home Economic Justice Climate, Environmental justice and energy

Reclaimers hard hit by lockdown

by Dorothy Mabelebele

9 November 2022
in Climate, Environmental justice and energy, Health Justice, Income generation
Reclaimers hard hit by lockdown
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The life threatening COVID-19 is heavily affecting the working class people and migrants. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and his cabinet tackled the pandemic crisis in a different way which left out other South Africans and migrants with no protection from the government. Those left out include reclaimers, street vendors, self-employed, which were not part of  the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), the National Disaster Benefit Fund (NDBF) will be the one paying workers that their salaries will be affected during the COVID-19 pandemic and it will be a monthly payment of up to R3 500 for the three months.

READ ALSO

Political interference in the mining sector remains costly for citizens.                                                          

Water Crisis Deepens in Gimboki South

African Reclaimers Organisation (ARO) is a Johannesburg organization of informal reclaimers from Johannesburg’s streets and landfills. ARO has close to 6 000 reclaimers who are waste pickers in Johannesburg, some of the workers are migrants from Lesotho which makes it difficult for government to cover them as some are undocumented migrants.

Steven Leeu from ARO said that

“We have been knocking in all doors of government to be assisted during the pandemic to help the waste pickers with protective equipment but they failed”.

 “Our members are dying of hunger during this Lock down because they are not working and not benefiting from the government. We have been asking for donations so we can be able to provide our workers with food parcels and other products during the Lock down.” added Leeu.

Landfills reclaimers had to be stopped working during the COVID-19 as they do not have protective equipment and government fear that they will spread the virus in their communities. According to Leeu, Marie Luis Landfills cite that they had to leave their materials in the landfill and denied access to take their materials to the buyer as buyers also don’t have permit to buy those materials. This issue affected workers in Johannesburg and Pretoria particularly. Therefore ARO has approached Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Barbara Creecy to tackle the issue of the reclaimers but she refused the request for reclaimers to be an essential service during the lockdown, however the Department of Environment and Coca Cola South Africa in association with ARO managed to distribute food to 2000 Reclaimers across Gauteng, they are also looking to reach more reclaimers. South Africa which is on the Lock down on27 March 2020 has forced many businesses, schools, churches, universities to close down to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Related Posts

Political interference in the mining sector remains costly for citizens.                                                          
Climate, Environmental justice and energy

Political interference in the mining sector remains costly for citizens.                                                          

5 March 2024
Residents of Magwegwe go for three weeks with no water
Climate, Environmental justice and energy

Water Crisis Deepens in Gimboki South

5 March 2024
The Leadership we want in Africa
Climate, Environmental justice and energy

The Leadership we want in Africa

5 March 2024
What is Climate Change?
Climate, Environmental justice and energy

What is Climate Change?

5 March 2024
Climate Change Affecting Food Systems in the Zambezi Valley
Climate, Environmental justice and energy

Climate Change Affecting Food Systems in the Zambezi Valley

10 July 2023
The Water Crisis in Zimunya Township deepens
Climate, Environmental justice and energy

The Water Crisis in Zimunya Township deepens

6 June 2023

LATEST NEWS

Born without penis

Born without penis

2 November 2022
CSO’s champion young women ‘s leadership development in Bulawayo Schools Debate Rumble 2024.

CSO’s champion young women ‘s leadership development in Bulawayo Schools Debate Rumble 2024.

20 May 2024
Secretary of State in Manica encourages ‘premature marital unions’.

Secretary of State in Manica encourages ‘premature marital unions’.

19 March 2024
I AM A QUEER BLACK MAN, ZIMBABWE IS MY HOME

I AM A QUEER BLACK MAN, ZIMBABWE IS MY HOME

5 March 2024

ABOUT ACT UBUMBANO

ACT Ubumbano is a network of Southern African and European organisations working for economic, gender and environmental justice.

LATEST NEWS

  • Women, Stand Up for Freedom
  • Strikes & Instability continue in Mozambique
  • Mozambique under political tension
  • Reflecting on the state of education in Zimbabwe: International Literacy Day

GET IN TOUCH

3rd Floor, Building 2
Brooklyn Bridge Office Park
570 Fehrsen
Pretoria, South Africa

Email: info@actubumbano.org
Tel: + 27 12 433 6304

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer

© 2024 - Ubumbano Voice. All rights reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Economic Justice
  • Gender Justice
  • Environmental Justice

© 2024 - Ubumbano Voice. All rights reserved