JOHANNESBURG - There is no light at the end of the tunnel for Pikitup’s escalating waste crisis.
The gridlock has now hit Alexandra, where a strike by casual workers has ground collections to a halt, turning local streets into sprawling, illegal dumping grounds.
Residents say they’re being forced to live among mounds of rubbish with no end to the health hazard in sight.
"We don’t have a municipality anymore. In fact, in the municipality, we just have criminals who are thinking about themselves. So that’s why they don’t care..."one resident said.
Community leader Thabo Mopasi said the conditions have become unacceptable.
"We are not pleased, it’s now election time and we are going through rubble like this and rubbish like this. There are rodents all over, it’s chaotic and it’s a health hazard..." Mopasi said.
The disruptions stem from ongoing protest action by casual workers demanding permanent employment.
The entrances to some depots like Randburg and Waterval, have been blocked again, further disrupting refuse collection.
Pikitup has repeatedly said it’s working to restore normal services and clear the backlog. But weeks into the dispute, the impasse with striking workers remains unresolved.
eNCA’s Nabeelah Shaikh filed this report.