Ward Councillor for Strandfontein (Ward 43), Elton Jansen, has backed urgent calls for refuse collection services at the Pine Acres informal settlement, warning that the ongoing absence of waste removal poses a serious health risk to residents, particularly children and the elderly.
Jansen confirmed that members of the Pine Acres community have been struggling for years to get refuse services rendered.
He urged the city’s Solid Waste and Informal Settlement Management departments to act as a matter of urgency, citing the severe health risks posed by uncollected waste in the community.
When visited the Pine Acres informal settlement to assess the situation on the ground on Friday, the conditions were immediately apparent.
Upon arrival, a choking smell filled the air, carrying a strong mix of urine, smoke and burnt plastic. Small piles of rubbish were scattered throughout the settlement, clustered close to homes.
The waste included nappies, used sanitary pads, medicine bottles, broken glass, and other sharp objects, all mixed together. Children were seen running barefoot over and between the piles of rubbish.
Naomi Prins, who has lived in Pine Acres for more than 40 years, said the lack of toilets and waste services has made life in the settlement increasingly difficult. Prins raised five children in the community, all of whom are now adults.
“Living here with no access to toilets and waste services has been a very difficult struggle,” she said.
According to Prins, the number of people living in the settlement has continued to grow, making regular waste collection more urgent than ever.
She said residents have recently noticed a worsening rat infestation, which has intensified fears for the safety of children.
“The rats are extremely huge. They are bigger than both my hands put together. They are everywhere at night and they scratch and bite the children,” she said.
Prins said her greatest concern is the health of children and elderly residents.
“The children play in the dirt and are constantly exposed to the broken glass, dirt, and things that are in the rubbish. Many of them get hurt or have running tummies and aches all the time. The elderly are unable move around and walk safely, out of the fear of falling. There are also very deep holes where we burn the rubbish that gets too much, and it ends up being a hazard for us as community members.”
Research conducted by University of the Western Cape scholar Linda Godfrey and other contributing authors highlights the dangers associated with inadequate waste management in informal and low-income communities.
The research focuses on the impact of ineffective waste disposal on environmental and public health, particularly in informal settlements, where waste services are often inconsistent or absent.
According to the research paper, uncollected waste has serious consequences for both physical and mental health.
“Ineffective waste management and disposal expose the surrounding environment to multiple air, water and soil pollution. There is an increase in evidence showing that exposure to waste due to ineffective or unmanaged waste disposal is leading to public health issues, including physical, psychosocial, biological and non-communicable diseases.
“The danger of open dumpsites lies in the fact that they are not maintained, contain uncovered and mixed waste, and have no boundaries. Increasingly, studies show that inadequate local waste disposal is also associated with an increased risk of childhood stunting.”
In response to the situation at Pine Acres, the councillor explained that the settlement is located on a privately owned land, which has complicated the provision of refuse services.
The property forms part of an estate, and permission from the landowner is required before the city can render services.
“I can confirm that this matter relating to Pine Acres informal settlement, which is on private property, has been ongoing for a few years,” the councillor said.
Jansen said initial engagements with the heir of the property stalled after the heir claimed that service charges linked to 12 prepaid electricity meters needed to be removed before permission could be granted.
Following a meeting held on December 1, 2025, with officials from the city’s Revenue Department, Human Settlements, Informal Settlements Management, and the estate’s attorney, it was confirmed by a revenue official that no service charges had ever been billed against the 12 prepaid meters.
“If it is confirmed that they were never billed for the 12 meters, then I do not see any reasons why the city cannot render the much needed services to this informal community,” Jansen said.
The councillor stressed that the situation at Pine Acres presents a serious health risk and said they fully support the call for refuse collection services to be implemented urgently.
A consent letter from the estate’s attorneys has since been issued, subject to final confirmation regarding the billing issue.
“My office will follow up on the matter with Revenue to confirm whether they were not billed, and I will follow up with Solid Waste and Informal Settlement Management to confirm when the services can commence,” the councillor said.
The City of Cape Town said it is still investigating the matter and will respond soon.
