The City of Cape Town’s Urban Waste Management Directorate has condemned the ongoing hijackings and violent attacks targeting its staff and vehicles across the metro.
A total of 57 cases were reported between the July 2024 and
June 2025 financial year, with a significant concentration in the Cape Flats
areas, and certain parts of the Overberg subregion. This includes the incident
when Bingo, the anti-litter mascot, and his driver were hijacked. Only 21 of
the hijacked vehicles have been recovered.
Several critical line departments have been affected, such as Cleansing,
Collections, Disposal and the Public Awareness teams.
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MMC for Urban Waste Management, Grant Twigg, said these
criminal acts not only place the lives of its frontline workers at risk, but
also undermine the critical waste collection and cleansing services that
millions of residents rely on.
‘’The hijacking of service vehicles is unacceptable, and I
want to state in the strongest terms that the City condemns these actions. Our
staff are simply trying to do their jobs – keeping our communities clean and
healthy. They are public servants, not targets.’’
‘’The hijackings have not only disrupted waste collection
services, but have also taken a profound emotional and psychological toll on
the frontline staff involved. In some cases, personnel have had to be admitted
to hospital for acute stress, and others have reported symptoms consistent with
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We continue to work with law enforcement
to safeguard staff, and bring perpetrators to justice.’’
‘’The City has already invested millions in new waste
management vehicles this year to strengthen service delivery in the most
vulnerable areas of our city. However, hijackings and violent disruptions
threaten this progress, leading to service delays, higher operational costs and
trauma for employees,’’ added Grant Twigg, Mayoral Committee Member for Urban
Waste Management.
The City called on communities to report any suspicious
activity or the whereabouts of perpetrators to the SAPS or the City’s dedicated
tip-off line, where information can be relayed 24/7 on 0800 110077.
Done By: Mitchum George
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