The City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security Directorate says it will continue to monitor attacks on staff, vehicle hijackings and extortion attempts. This follows an alleged extortion threat in Lwandle last week, which disrupted refuse collection services in the area.

On Tuesday, a waste collection service provider’s truck was reportedly attacked and targeted with gunfire by unknown assailants during collection rounds.

According to the City, no staff members were injured, but services were immediately halted. Services have since resumed, with law enforcement and the police arranging security escorts for contractor vehicles.

In light of this, the City of Cape Town has revealed that requests for escorts have surged from an average of 275 per month during the 2024/25 financial year to 890 per month in 2025/26.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape says it is deeply concerned over the latest alleged extortion-related attack that disrupted refuse collection services in Lwandle.

DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Police Oversight and Community Safety, Benedicta van Minnen, said while no municipal workers were injured, this incident highlights the growing threat that extortion syndicates and violent criminality pose to those who are simply trying to do their jobs and deliver essential services to communities.

“Extortion is an attack on economic activity, public services and the rule of law. It cannot be allowed to become normalised. Those responsible must be identified, arrested and successfully prosecuted to ensure that communities receive the services they deserve without fear or disruption,” added van Minnen

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