{
  "id": 12067990,
  "title": "Elections 2026: this village in the Langkloof orchards is strewn with rubbish",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/elections-2026-this-village-in-the-langkloof-orchards-is-strewn-with",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-05T04:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "GroundUp",
    "slug": "groundup",
    "url": "https://groundup.org.za/article/elections-2026-an-eastern-cape-town-on-the-brink-of-collapsing/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the Langkloof valley of the Eastern Cape, the town of Louterwater grapples with rubbish disposal issues. Home to approximately 5,000 residents, most of whom are farmworkers, the area is known for its orchards. However, the town's streets are littered with potholes, stagnant water, and piles of burned rubbish. The municipality provides one refuse truck, which is meant to collect household waste weekly, but residents complain about unreliable service. The truck often skips the area for weeks or arrives on different days without notice, leaving residents to resort to burning their rubbish. GroundUp spoke to residents who expressed dissatisfaction with the municipal refuse collection. Anthony Miggels, who supervises an EPWP team, stated that the workers lack sufficient equipment and refuse bags to clean up properly, working four days a week. Ward councillor Michael Hartz confirmed that Louterwater is serviced by one refuse truck, but the service is inconsistent. Some families cross the R62 to illegally dump their rubbish, as the cleaning team cannot collect it from private land. Venecia Janse, a longtime resident, noted that most plastic bins given to households have been stolen. She and her family purchase black bags every month to manage their waste. The municipality's latest draft 2025/26 annual report confirms that refuse collection is supposed to take place weekly, but residents have faced challenges due to long distances between settlements and only three operational landfill sites. The report mentioned that refuse collection was a challenge due to the geographical constraints and increased travel costs for refuse trucks. In its annual report, the municipality also acknowledged suspensions of refuse collection services due to mechanical breakdowns of the municipal refuse removal truck. Residents were advised to store their refuse on their properties, avoid illegal dumping, and wait for further updates. In addition to rubbish issues, Louterwater also faces problems with unreliable water supply and sewage blockages. Clive Abrahams, a longtime resident, experienced sewage backup into his toilet due to blockages caused by the inconsistent water supply. He and his wife supplement their incomes by transporting farmworkers to their jobs. Venecia Janse shared concerns about the quality of the water reaching her tap, which often tastes bitter and requires boiling before consumption. The municipality's Integrated Development Plan for 2026/27 includes plans to address Louterwater's water infrastructure issues, including investigating existing boreholes, identifying new sites, installing additional boreholes, and supplying water tanks to households.",
  "summary": "Residents of Louterwater in Kou-Kamma municipality complain of uncollected waste, persistent sewage overflows and inconsistent water supply",
  "key_points": [
    "Louterwater village in Langkloof has rubbish disposal issues.",
    "Residents face unreliable weekly refuse truck service.",
    "Municipality plans to address water infrastructure in 2026/27 report."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}