Bad collection service for tax payers

Dear HelloPeter Team,

I am writing to formally lodge a complaint against Pikitup regarding the unacceptable refuse collection service provided to the residents of Moroka North during the recent festive season.

Refuse was not collected on 25 December, which we understood due to it being a public holiday. However, this resulted in refuse remaining uncollected for seven days, placing a significant strain on households during a period when waste volumes are naturally higher.

Furthermore, today being 1 January, also a public holiday, residents reasonably assumed that no collection would take place. Unexpectedly, at approximately 10:00 AM, a refuse truck arrived and only collected two bins in Mamosa Street, without any prior notification to the community. The rest of the street—and many others, including Mamosa Street, which alone has over 100 households—were completely skipped.

No communication was issued to inform residents that it would be operating on this public holiday. There was no notice, no schedule update, and none of the usual alerts used by collection teams. As a result, most residents were caught off guard, especially considering that culturally, many households are active late into the night on 31 December, only settling in during the early hours of the morning.

The consequences of this poor service are severe. With schools closed and many family members visiting during the festive season, refuse bins are overflowing. This has led to flies invading homes, rodents becoming a problem, and growing health and hygiene concerns. Residents are now left with yards full of refuse, yet are expected not to dump waste *******ly—leaving us with no reasonable alternative.

Communities in townships deserve the same level of service, communication, and respect as communities in all other parts of South Africa. The lack of notification and inconsistent collection is not only unacceptable but deeply concerning.

We respectfully request:

A clear explanation from Pikitup regarding the failure to notify residents and the selective collection that took place today; and A concession in the form of an additional refuse collection day as an urgent remedy to address the backlog affecting Moroka North.

We trust that HelloPeter will escalate this matter and assist the community in receiving a prompt and fair response.

Yours sincerely,

Resident, Moroka North Township