Residents living near the Menlo Park garden refuse site have raised renewed safety concerns after a second wall reportedly collapsed at the facility, while the Tshwane metro is still preparing to repair the initial structural failure.

Ward 82 councillor Siobhan Muller confirmed that she received a video from a resident on February 16 showing further damage to the site’s perimeter wall.

“The wall had already collapsed, and then somebody else sent me that video. The damage looks pretty bad,” Muller said.

She added that she has not received feedback from the MMC for Environment and Agriculture Management Services, Obakeng Ramabodu, regarding the matter.

The latest collapse comes as the metro works to address infrastructure damage at the facility on 26th Street following heavy rains late last year.

Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the site experienced a temporary operational interruption on February 9, between 07:00 and 12:00.

“The short suspension of access was necessary to address on-site operational conditions and ensure safe and orderly functioning. The facility reopened to the public from 12:00 the same day,” he said.

Mashigo emphasised that the limited access implemented during the morning was not related to contractor payment matters, but rather to allow for safe evaluation of the infrastructure.

He confirmed that infrastructure damage at the site was reported on December 27, 2025, after heavy rainfall.

“Internal processes are underway to implement the necessary repairs in accordance with municipal procedures,” Mashigo said.

He added that while a short-term accumulation of garden refuse occurred due to increased seasonal volumes of green waste, the backlog has since been cleared and normal removal cycles restored.

During the February 9 interruption, residents were redirected to the Hatherley Waste Facility in Mamelodi as an alternative drop-off point.

Mashigo acknowledged that clearer communication from the city could have prevented confusion among residents.

“While it did not constitute a formal site closure, the city acknowledges that proactive communication would have assisted in preventing confusion.

“Measures will be strengthened to ensure that ward councillors and affected stakeholders are promptly informed of similar temporary operational interruptions in the future,” he said.

Despite the site having since reopened and resumed operations, some residents say the repeated structural failures have heightened long-standing frustrations.

Resident and business owner Danie Dreyer, who lives and works opposite the site on 21st Street, said there was no prior communication to surrounding residents.

“No one notified us about the closure. I only found out about that on the councillor’s group,” Dreyer said.

He described recurring challenges at the facility, particularly during periods of increased waste volumes.

“That refuse has been a very big problem for a long time. Garden rubble heaps up there in huge heaps, and it smells; especially when it rains, it smells,” he said.

Muller confirmed that the site has since reopened and that equipment was deployed to address the backlog, but warned that continued delays in repairing damaged infrastructure could pose further risks to nearby residents and road users.

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