Illegal dumping due to ‘lack of services, education'
In this week's council agenda, a report on the Section 79 Safety and Security Committee alluded to a bigger problem of municipal law enforcement personnel not doing their jobs, and failing to implement by-laws.
According to the DA's Morgan Bruiners, a staggering 15 illegal dumpsites have been discovered in Nasaret, Rondebosch and Sam Rose, resulting in significant health risks for the community.
Bruiners agrees that the municipality is showing a 'lack of effective waste management'.
According to the municipality, a continued waste minimisation strategy is being followed by engaging with communities with events based on the environmental calendar.
The municipality established a waste transfer station between Extension 24 and Nasaret, allowing for the disposal of general waste.
The municipality does not have available land, nor the funds, for the development of a landfill site, or more waste transfer stations, on the current budget or Integrated Development Plan.
The town only has one landfill next to Tokologo, which also only allows the disposal of general waste, in line with its operational licence.
Apart from awareness campaigns and the available by-laws governing solid waste disposal, the municipality plans to tackle the problem with its adopt-a-spot policy, which would partner private entities with the municipality to keep their respective adopted spots clean.
According to the municipality, ward councillors should promote the adopt-a-spot policy in order to reduce illegal dumping.
The municipality blames illegal dumping on 'culture and lack of efficient service and education'.
The municipality said it will continue to collect waste throughout town once weekly, and added that funds have been availed to rehabilitate dumping areas.
Bruiners said that by-laws aren't a deterrent and that spot fines are ineffective.
The municipality conceded that the only way to win the dumping war 'is to change human behaviour'.
Dennesig Ward Councillor Johann Dyason meanwhile dispelled Dennesig and Kanonkop residents' fears that the Dennesig waste transfer station will be demolished with the development of more than 700 stands in Dennesig North as 'unfounded rumours'.
According to the plans he has seen, the transfer station falls just outside the residential development and will continue to benefit the suburbs.
Just a quick drive towards the transfer station, however, shows that illegal dumping, especially building rubble, continues to be dumped outside the transfer station.
'Illegal dumping is a problem throughout Middelburg,' he agreed.
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