Ehlanzeni to deal with illegal dumping
MBOMBELA - The Ehlanzeni District Municipality (EDM) has adopted the FF Plus’s proposal to launch an awareness campaign against illegal dumping.
The FF Plus has asked that local municipalities within the district, the City of Mbombela (CoM), Thaba Chweu, Bushbuckridge and Nkomazi, join hands with the EDM to combat illegal dumping.
The EDM's FF Plus councillor, Ken Robertson, said poor to no service delivery ultimately leads to illegal dumping. This is exacerbated by recklessness, with a large negative impact on the environment. He also said many residents do not want to pay dumpsite fees to municipalities.
The Disaster Management Portfolio team of the EDM has undertaken to run continuous campaigns in co-operation with local municipalities to raise awareness against the consequences of illegal dumping.
“The dumping of, among other things, used disposable nappies, plastic bags, sanitary products and other nonbiodegradable materials is not only unsightly, but these pollutants end up in some of the larger water sources during the rainy season,” Robertson said.
He said initially, black refuse bags will be donated to poor residents, which should facilitate the collection of garbage.
Robertson also emphasised the importance of backup services for municipal by-law enforcers, saying it is only possible to prosecute offenders effectively if local police co-operate.
“The FF Plus will continue to put pressure on the municipality to ensure that the party’s request for intervention is acted on and that this plan is implemented as soon as possible,” he concluded.
The EDM’s spokesperson, Lucky Ngomane, confirmed that they will embark on awareness campaigns about illegal dumping within all its local municipalities, as it is its mandate to make sure that all communities adhere to the by-laws.
“The district wants to keep all the communities clean, and we believe that this campaign will yield positive results. We need the municipalities and the community to come together to make sure that we protect the environment and stop the illegal dumping,” he said.
Meanwhile, the community of Mataffin still continues to dump their garbage next to the Matsafeni road, ignoring a sign that dumping is not allowed. Community members said they would continue to dump in the area until the CoM starts collecting their garbage from their yards.
The Masoyi community and surrounding areas also still dump their garbage on the R538 next to the plantation and Dayzenza Plaza after several warnings from the
CoM. The community also blames the municipality for not providing rubbish bins.
The Disaster Management Portfolio team of the EDM has undertaken to run campaigns in co-operation with local municipalities