Uncollected rubbish bins lined pavements across several suburbs in Middelburg last night, following another delayed municipal waste removal schedule.

Another week of another game that residents have become accustomed to: leave your bin outside, take it in, leave it outside, no take it in …

There was even a song written about the town’s ‘green wheelie bin frustration’.
Yesterday was no exception.

It was announced late in the afternoon that residents of Gholfsig, parts of Kanonkop, Ext 1 and Mineralia, Clubville, parts of Ext 24, Nasaret, Dennesig and parts of Aerorand would have their rubbish removed late last night. Residents were asked to wait until 22:00.

“If your bin has not been removed by that time, you must take the bin back to your yard. A new time will then be scheduled,” the announcement read.

In other words, residents had to wait until 22:00 last night to see whether their bins had been removed.
This is, of course, a routine that has been going on for months.

This morning, bins were still standing around the streets of Dennesig like lone green soldiers.

New fleet expected

Councillor Juanette Mentz of the FF+ said the new refuse trucks would be delivered tomorrow and would start to be used on Monday.
To which a resident replied, “It’s not the refuse trucks, it’s the municipal workers who manage them.”
The cleaning services have been at the forefront of municipal service disruptions and strikes in the last few years.

Months of delays

To illustrate the wheelie bin saga, one only has to look at the Observer’s headlines over the last few months:

• ‘Wheelie bins make residents’ heads spin’
• ‘Green wheelie bins make residents see red’
• ‘Putting your dustbin out the night before is a security risk’
• ‘Late-night garbage removal could carry on for months’
• ‘Municipality toothless against revolting staff, strike continues’