An alleged extortion threat disrupted refuse collection services in Lwandle after a waste collection truck was targeted with gunfire, forcing the City of Cape Town to suspend operations temporarily.
According to the City, one of its waste collection service providers' trucks was attacked by unknown assailants during normal collection rounds on Tuesday, July 7. No staff members were injured, but services were immediately halted to protect personnel and equipment.
The suspension resulted in approximately 40% of scheduled refuse collections in Lwandle's formal residential areas being missed on Tuesday, with further delays on Wednesday, July 8, because of safety concerns.
The City's Urban Waste Management Directorate, working with law enforcement and the police, arranged security escorts for contractor vehicles, allowing refuse collection to resume on Thursday, July 9.
The incident comes amid a sharp increase in the demand for law enforcement escorts to protect City staff and contractors working in high-risk areas. According to the City, escort requests have risen from an average of 275 per month in 2024/25 to 890 per month in 2025/26, with extortion, hijackings, robberies and gang-related violence among the risks faced in several policing precincts.
