Residents fed up with illegal dumping
Communities and businesses sick of trash strewn all over metro area
BUFFALO City residents and business owners are up in arms over illegal dumping throughout the metropolitan area.
Audrey Jakobus, a resident of Parkside, said: “The dumping is very bad behind Parkside hall. There are rats and stray dogs in the area because of the rubbish.
“I have had to make my children stay with my aunt because the informal flat I stay in is too easy for the rats to get into. It’s not a good environment for children to stay in.
“They dump trash, rubble, clothing, everything. I am worried about the children in the area – there are lots of diseases and germs which can come from this dump.
“BCM is meant to come and pick up rubbish on Thursdays but they always come late. It is left to community members to try and clean up.
“Even when they [BCM] do come and clean, the very next day people are dumping again.
“A while ago a no-dumping sign was put up but people ripped it down and carried on dumping there. This has been going on for a very long time. It mostly happens at night when people are sleeping.”
Jakobus called on community members to identify the dumpers so they could be fined.
“I don’t think they understand how they are damaging their own environment,” she said.
Lee Wallach, general manager at EL beachfront restaurant Grazia Fine Food & Wine, said: “The bushes next to the restaurant are full of trash. Whenever we contact BCM they say they are going to do something, but never do.
“I have had to hire a man to come every Wednesday to clear the bushes out. Once a month I hire three men and I go in with them to try and do a good clean. We’ve even found doublemattresses.
“In the nine years I have worked at this restaurant we must have called BCM 100 times, but nothing ever gets done. I think they really need to just clear [away] the bushes, not only do people dump there but it also acts as a hiding space for criminals.
“Our restaurant has a panoramic view. So when people come to eat they see this beautiful ocean view on one side but trash-filled bushes on the other. There is a real lack of housekeeping in Quigney, it just keeps getting worse and worse.”
Another business owner in Braelyn, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “Dumping is terrible in our area. They dump everything from rubble to plastics.
“Additionally we have scrappers using these illegal dumping grounds to salvage scrap metal. They often burn tires which they don’t think they can get money for.
“The thick clouds of smoke sometimes make it difficult for my employees to even breathe.
“Nothing has been done about the problem in months. I find BCM extremely difficult to get hold of and when I do, still nothing gets done.
“We can’t confront the people [doing the dumping] either because they get very aggressive.
“This whole situation is bad for business, customers are worried about coming here because they think the area looks dodgy.”
BCM spokesman Bathandwa Diamond said: “Illegal dumping of waste is one of the largest problems in the city.
“An environmental challenge that is plaguing the metropolitan area is the volumes of solid waste being illegally disposed in open spaces, along road verges, as well as in streams.
“Littering and illegal dumping of waste is a rising concern for the BCMM and we need the community to come to the party to help save our streets, parks and bushland as this has the potential to cause health and safety risks for both people and the natural environment.”
BCM residents looking to dispose of general household waste only have two alternatives – one landfill site 30km outside East London and another in King William’s Town.
Diamond said BCM operated two landfills: the East London Regional Waste Disposal Site and the King William’s Town Waste Disposal Site.
The East London site is next to the N2 about 4km east of Berlin (30km out of town) and charges about R150 for every ton of waste disposed. The King William’s Town site is situated just outside the town on the R30 district road and accepts general waste from King residents at no cost.
The metro also utilises three garden transfer stations – Kidd’s Beach, Beacon Bay and a privately owned site, Riegers, in Gonubie, where a fee is charged per ton.
Diamond said: “We are calling all residents, businesses and stakeholders to report anyone who is seen littering or dumping waste to the solid waste department on 043-721-1969.”