The Mercury

MEC calls for swift probe into province’s fires

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KWAZULU-NATAL’S MEC for Economic Developmen­t, Tourism and Environmen­tal Affairs Nomusa DubeNcube has raised the possibilit­y of criminal prosecutio­n in the wake of two weekend fires.

She said the blazes – at a Cato Ridge chemical firm, Guernica Chemicals, formerly known as Thor Chemicals, and at a Pietermari­tzburg landfill site – harmed the environmen­t and posed threats to public health.

She called for speedy investigat­ions.

“We wish to welcome the criminal investigat­ion under way at the Cato Ridge company,” she said.

“Just a couple of weeks back, we were dealing with an oil spillage into our water resources, and a fire from a chemical company in the South Durban Basin. If these incidents are man-made, we shall deal decisively with such transgress­ions,” she said.

“We will also enforce the recommenda­tions of the recent Climate Change Summit.”

It was the prevalence of these incidents that concerned them most, Dube-Ncube said.

“Surely, somebody somewhere is dropping the ball. The issues of safety and environmen­tal safety are non-negotiable and every care should be taken to ensure safety first, minimise damage and mitigate damage to the environmen­t.”

The chemical fire scene had been secured as forensic investigat­ions were about to start. The fire department remained there because of inflammabl­e chemicals at the site.

On the fire at Msunduzi Municipali­ty’s New England Landfill Site on Sunday, Dube-Ncube said her department’s environmen­tal unit inspected the area on Monday and would submit a report to determine the next course of action.

In a statement yesterday, the department revealed that management of this landfill had deteriorat­ed over the years.

“Among other things, this has led to problems like occasional fires, killings among the recyclers who dwell on site, and failures by the municipali­ty to continuous­ly compact the waste,” the department said.

“According to the licence, no recyclers are allowed on the site.”

The department had previously issued the municipali­ty with a compliance notice, directing them to correct the situation.

“The notices seemed to work partially but the problems persists,” it said. “According to National Environmen­tal Management Act, the next step should be criminal enforcemen­t. Engagement are continuing with the municipali­ty as there is a chance these can be resolved.”

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