A worsening refuse collection crisis is gripping Ward 98, with service delivery failures now stretching across a growing number of suburbs and leaving residents increasingly frustrated, angry, and concerned about their health and environment.

Ward 98 councillor Beverley Jacobs has painted a stark picture of the situation, describing months of disruption that began in areas serviced by the Randburg depots and have since spread further afield.

“Ward 98 has been severely impacted for several months,” Jacobs said. “What started in Pikitup’s Randburg depots namely; Randpark, Windsor, Randpark Ridge, Robinglen, and Cresta — has now spread to Waterval depot areas like Northcliff, Berario, and Fairland.”

Residents in these areas have been subjected to repeated missed collections, and in some cases, no refuse removal at all.

Read more: Dry taps but not dry spirit as Melville residents refuse to back down

The consequences have been immediate and deeply felt. According to Jacobs, she added that residents are angry and rightfully so, adding that the entity and the city appears to be turning a blind eye and deaf ear to the valid concerns of residents.

“There are personal environmental health impacts as well as costs incurred because of non-collection. Residents are demanding that services they are paying for and not receiving is refunded.”

As waste continues to pile up, the crisis is beginning to manifest in more visible and troubling ways across communities. Illegal dumping has surged, particularly in long-standing hotspot areas. For now, residents across Ward 98 are left waiting, watching, and increasingly demanding answers as the refuse crisis continues to unfold.

The publication reached out to Pikitup on March 27 for an update on the media query, to which they responded: “Hi, noted will remind the responsible manager.”

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