Refuse collection services temporarily withdrawn from Philippi East

14 September 2023

The City of Cape Town’s Urban Waste Management (UWM) Directorate regretfully informs residents of Philippi East that we have been forced to temporarily withdraw waste collection services from the area for the second time this year. This time the withdrawal of services is due to an attack on private security escorts protecting UWM staff and vehicles operating in the area. Two security guards unfortunately lost their lives in this incident.

The City is alarmed by the reports of an attack on the crew that was collecting refuse in the area of Philippi East. This incident follows the extortion threats that saw contractors in the area pull out of service delivery earlier in the year. Since then, the City has arranged for internal staff that normally operate in other areas to perform this service in Philippi East under security escort.

Going forward, UWM plans to engage with SAPS and the City’s Safety and Security Directorate to request their urgent assistance in dealing with criminal elements that are threatening our staff and contractors. 

‘On behalf of UWM, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the families of the two guards who unfortunately lost their lives through this attack. As the City, we are considering various ways on how we can move forward and ensure that we safely resume services so that service delivery can continue,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Alderman Grant Twigg. 

We call on residents to please refrain from dumping uncollected waste, and to watch the media (including the City’s social media channels) for further updates about clearing existing backlogs in the area, or possible adjusted waste collection schedules. 

We further call on residents to join the City’s #SpringCleanCT campaign which seeks to ensure that we keep our communities clean at all times. As the City, we cannot allow criminals to bully us into living in dirty areas.

Please take note of the location of the City’s drop-off sites and the materials they accept: SW_Drop-off _Table_and_Operating_Times.pdf (capetown.gov.za)

Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office