An illegal dump on municipal land in Imizamo Yethu is growing by the day.
When the Sentinel visited the site, which is a few meters from the Silikamva High School parking lot, on Friday May 17, we saw heaps of rubbish and people adding to it.
IY community activist Nicholas Ndaba says the rubbish is ending up in the stormwater drains.
“Since 2017, there have been clean-ups by waste management. From 2020 till now, it’s a mess. But I can’t fault the City, residents are entirely responsible,” he said.
“We are looking at calling a meeting with the community to bring awareness of the impact of this situation and collaboratively find a solution to the matter to help fast-track this subject with ward councillor Roberto Quintas before the heavy rains hit us.”
An awareness campaign, a door-to-door programme and a community meeting on the dumping hot spot should be implemented by the City, Mr Ndaba added.
Siyazama Pre School principal Funisele Cele said the dumping had been happening for more than a decade.
“That place remains a mess like this every year. My first grandchild is 12 years old this year, and it was like this since before he was born. I think the culprits dump at night because in the morning it’s always untidy.
“The City must help to put a container there and clean the area every day. The City can also help with building a small bridge there so that the children aren’t walking on this rubbish.”
Sentinel heard reports that a child playing near the dump had their feet bitten by a rat but we could not confirm this.
Mayoral committee member for community services and health Patricia van der Ross said the City’s environmental health department had a rodent baiting programme for Imizamo Yethu with bait placed at waste containers throughout the community. The department also dealt with individual complaints from residents and ran regulation education drives in the community.
“Unfortunately, environmental health cannot deal with areas where dumping occurs, as placing rodent bait in such areas will be ineffective – the rodent bait will not be able to compete with the readily available food sources found in the waste that has been dumped, and environmental health cannot place rodent bait safely in these areas either.“
The removal of the waste would be the most effective way to reduce the rodent activity in the area, Ms Van der Ross added.
Previously Sentinel reported on a section of City-owned land in Mandela Park that has become a breeding ground for rats as dumping continues there (“Residents’ rat hell,” Sentinel, August 2019).
The City’s urban waste management directorate said it would investigate and respond in due course.
Mr Quintas said the City regularly cleared the hot spot although access to it was difficult and residents continued to discard their rubbish there instead of walking “a few meters” to dump their waste legally.
“The dumping originates within and by the community and can only be addressed by the community choosing to change their behaviour for their own benefit,“ Mr Quintas said.
