Unsightly orange bags pile up on verges

SIPHELELE BUTHELEZI

Is in contravention of one or more of the municipality’s by-laws.

“Some derelict buildings are owned by people who live abroad, some are leased or sublet to a number of tenants, some have been ‘hijacked’ and some are owned by people who are deceased.

"Therefore, the city cannot apply a blanket approach in dealing with these complex cases,” said Mthethwa. ORANGE recycling bags are still left unattended outside the gates of most homes across the city, in spite of ethekwini Municipality’s assurance two weeks ago that its recycling programme would resume at the end of January.

The city had not been collecting the bags and had urged residents to keep them inside their properties until the end of January.

Previously, the city announced that its recycling programme had been halted after its recycling partner, Mpact, underwent repairs because of damage caused by the October storms.

But this week residents told City Watch that the bags had not been collected as promised.

In Durban North, City Watch noticed orange bags lying on verges.

Mary Language of um hlanga said she had hoped they would have been collected last week. “I read in the paper that the programme was going to resume this week, so I decided to take out my recycle bags. I have lots of recyclable waste, and I am discouraged by the municipality’s failure,” said Language.

She complained that the City had also not been supplying recycling bags as promised.

Greenwood Park resident Dino Malthoo said they were experiencing similar problems.

“Some neighbours fail to retrieve their orange bags when the City fails to collect them.

“This results in waste being strewn on pavements. The City should tell us the exact date when the programme will resume,” Malthoo said.

City spokesperson Tozi Mthethwa said the unit had been alerted. Residents can contact Zanele Dlamini at the Durban Solid Waste on 031 303 1665 or 031 303 0788 or e-mail zanele.dlamini2@ durban.gov.za