NMU student declares war on litter, illegal dumping in Korsten
Tired of watching rubbish pile up in the neighbourhood where she grew up, a Nelson Mandela Bay student woke up one day and decided to do something about it.
Bianca Bosch, 30, has been picking up litter in Korsten for the past three weeks and has a huge cleanup planned for next week.
Bosch, a final-year BSc consumer science student at NMU, has been joined in her war on litter by members of her family and two friends but hopes the community will notice their efforts and pitch in.
“I’ve always had a passion for the environment and started this initiative because Korsten has been looking like a tip for years,” she said.
“I hope that people will buy in and stop littering and illegal dumping.”
Bosch said her conservation efforts started in high school when she served on the environmental club committee.
“I used to recycle my garbage and saw we can do better.
“The reason it’s taken so long to stand my ground [in Korsten] is because I felt like I was fighting a losing battle, but I will try my best to make the change.”
Bosch said it was disturbing to watch rubbish pile up on almost every street corner.
“My great-grandparents lived in Korsten in the 1920s.
“My grandparents also grew up in the same home, as well as my father and his siblings.
“It is a shame to watch Korsten turn into this state.
“I’d been back and forth with councillors and officials but then decided to take the initiative myself and not only rely on the municipality,” she said.
Though she is married and no longer lives in Korsten, Bosch visits the area regularly to see her family and has been cleaning up the neighbourhood twice a week.
“It never used to be this dirty — many years ago it was clean.
“But now filthy packets blow into our yard and it’s unhygienic.”
She said the municipality should start looking at ways to deal with illegal dumping, including fining those caught in the act.
“Korsten is a very busy area with lots of businesses, but unfortunately you will see them just illegally dumping the boxes, plastics and all other bulk waste.
“There is nothing done to them, and I always believe that dirt will always attract dirtiness,” Bosch said.
She said weekly refuse collection by municipal trucks was not enough in Korsten.
“With our authorities, there is a lack of enforcement.”
Municipal spokesperson Mamela Ndamase said yesterday that Korsten and Schauderville were serviced by wheelie bins and that no black bags were provided as part of normal distribution.
“In cases where refuse trucks have been delayed, residents are encouraged to bring their refuse closer to the main roads — Durban Road or Stanford Road.
“In the Bay, we have wastemanagement bylaws that are enforced by town rangers and residents are encouraged to report people found dumping illegally to the ward councillor’s office,” Ndamase said.