Several suburbs in the Northside area have been affected by waste collection delays since the beginning of this week.

According to Pikitup spokesperson Anthony Selepe, the entity is aware of the delays and is working to clear the backlog.

In a media statement released on Wednesday, March 11, Pikitup stated the disruptions were caused by operational challenges and protest-related interruptions affecting some parts of the city. Limited landfill availability has also contributed, with only the Goudkoppies and Robinson Deep Landfill Sites currently fully operational.

“The delays are attributed to a combination of operational challenges, including truck breakdowns, staffing shortages, and landfill delays, which have resulted in non-collection in affected areas,” Selepe said.

He added that the backlog currently affects routes scheduled between Tuesday and Friday. Pikitup is about two days behind schedule, and as of Wednesday, teams were attending to Monday and Tuesday routes while working to clear the backlog. Residents have been urged to remain patient as services return to normal.

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Updates provided on local community WhatsApp groups highlighted some of the areas affected, including Weltevreden Park, Strubens Valley, Radiokop, Little Falls, and Poortview. Residents expressed mixed experiences, with some reporting that their bins had still not been collected despite updates, while others said their waste had been picked up.

“Our teams are prioritising the affected areas and will clear backlogs as soon as possible,” Selepe said.

Residents whose refuse has not been collected are advised to wait for further communication before placing bins out again.

“We are communicating with ward councillors and will notify residents through these channels when collection in their areas will be done,” he added.

Ward 89 councillor Zander Shawe expressed that this is unacceptable and acknowledged the impact of mismanagement on services.

“The issue is that Pikitup is not operating as per normal. Their capacity has been severely impacted, mainly due to a lack of funds,” he said, adding that the entity does have a recovery plan, as per the last message he communicated to residents.

“We see this getting worse every day. Without bringing politics into this, I want to say that this is a symptom of unaccountability, mismanagement, and corruption – and it needs to be changed and eradicated,” added Shawe.

For now, there is no clear date as to when the unfinished rounds will be collected, and residents await their refuse to be collected.