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  • keyboard_arrow_rightJohannesburg suburbs buried in rubbish while Pikitup fails to provide a timeline for service resumption

Johannesburg suburbs buried in rubbish while Pikitup fails to provide a timeline for service resumption

By Mapaballo Borotho

Overflowing rubbish piles raise public health concerns across Johannesburg suburbs
Image @Newsday
  • Johannesburg residents continue to battle overflowing rubbish as the Pikitup strike enters another week.
  • The waste entity has yet to provide a timeline for the resumption of refuse collection services.
  • The DA says the City’s failure to resolve recurring labour disputes has left communities facing health and environmental risks.

It has been weeks since the strike at Pikitup started, leaving Johannesburg suburbs drowning in rubbish.

Last month, the embattled waste entity confirmed that it owes contractors and suppliers more than R1.3 million, with at least 70 businesses still waiting for payment.

At the same time, Pikitup informed residents in July 2026 that waste collection services had been disrupted across all depot areas due to a protest by casual workers demanding permanent employment.

The entity confirmed that the protest brought refuse collection to a halt, and it remains unclear when waste will be collected as rubbish continues to pile up across the streets of Johannesburg.

Management is reportedly engaging with those involved. However, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg says the reality is that these labour disputes have been ongoing since 2021.

“Despite years of disruption, the ANC-led administration has failed to resolve the underlying issues or put effective contingency plans in place to ensure that refuse collection continues.

The result is a city drowning in rubbish, exposing residents to health risks, damaging the environment, and eroding public confidence in local government,” said Joburg Caucus Leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku.

She said it does not make sense that residents continue to pay rates and taxes, only to be met with overflowing bins, filthy streets and endless excuses.

Kayser-Echeozonjoku has called on the Executive Mayor, the MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services, and the Pikitup Board to immediately:

  • Restore refuse collection services without further delay.
  • Provide residents with a clear and transparent plan to permanently resolve the ongoing labour dispute.
  • Implement effective contingency measures to ensure refuse collection is never again brought to a standstill by recurring labour unrest.
  • Account publicly for why these disputes have been allowed to continue for years without a lasting resolution.

Meanwhile, Pikitup has advised that the Randburg Depot gates remain closed and refuse collection services continue to be disrupted.

The entity has not provided a timeframe for when operations will resume. 

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