The municipality’s public health department was forced to use backup recruits who were waiting in the wings in case those who had been hired absconded.
The 200 casual workers were recruited from wards closest to the beaches, with the project expected to run until January 31 at a cost of R2.9m.
Municipal spokesperson Mthubanzi Mniki said the city’s contingency plan had then kicked in and new recruits had been hired.
“The EPWP department had to check the list of people on the database and screen them. We had to look for middle-aged people who are serious about working and making money because most of those who absconded are youths.
“We had to rehire new people immediately.
“The 186 who absconded fired themselves, so we had to get more people to have 100 at the southern beaches, which are Humewood, Hobie and Kings Beach, and 100 for the Wells Estate, Brighton and Bluewater Bay beaches,” Mniki said.
– HeraldLIVE