Police arrest bogus Pikitup workers

Captain Kym Cloete, the spokesperson for the Sandton police, confirmed that a case had been opened at the police station. The four fake Pikitup employees harassed residents by demanding donations during the festive season in December last year.

Jacky Mashapu, spokesperson for Pikitup, said the four were arrested and charged with theft under false pretense and will appear in court soon. The acting managing director of Pikitup, Ika Magasa welcomed the arrest.

Magasa called upon all residents of Johannesburg to report imposters and staff who approach or harass them for gifts or donations. “Corporate governance and zero tolerance to corruption are of critical importance to Pikitup,” said Magasa. “We will leave no stone unturned in rooting out corrupt officials and unscrupulous people trying to rob the residents of Johannesburg.”

All residents are advised to not hand over gifts to waste removal staff during their routine operations of collecting refuse from their households. Mashapu said Pikitup employees are forbidden from soliciting gifts or donations from members of the public. “This goes against company policy for staff to take part in this tradition”, said Magasa.

Any irregular activities can be reported to the South African Police Services or the City of Johannesburg’s 24-hour toll-free hotline.

Details: 0800 00 25 87, anticorruption@tip-offs.com or SMS 32 840.