Middelburg, the jewel of the Eastern Transvaal.

Middelburg Town of the Year 2015.

It’s 2026, and Middelburg’s streets are full of garbage.

Yesterday, residents began dumping their black garbage bags along the streets.

Some neighbourhoods’ garbage has not been removed for three weeks.

Entrepreneurs have begun removing the bags at R30 per wheelie bin, with R10 per additional bag.

The illegal dumping of black bags has become increasingly common along the Klein Olifants River recently.

In 2022, Middelburg was turned into one big ash heap during a week-long strike.

With refuse collectors having emptied only the wheelie bins in Dennesig over the past week, rubbish is piling up again.

• According to a message by Councillor Helda de Klerk, the refuse team will return tomorrow (Saturday), from 06:00, to empty green wheelie bins.

The question residents want answered is: Will the workers be paid overtime?