The discovery was made by Clean City brigade members, who were cleaning the area on Thursday morning.
Daniel Kgomo and Patrick Cindi were mortified by the discovery, especially because the waste was found right opposite Ntokozweni Primary School.
More than anything, they feared that school children would be exposed to this waste, which could make them vulnerable to harmful diseases.
The two cleaners claim the bucket could have been left by substance abusers who normally frequent the sports ground to use illegal products.
“Many drug-users make use of the Ntokozweni Grounds to do their illegal activities and it may be that they stole the bucket from a local clinic or hospital,” explained Kgomo.
The Ntokozweni Grounds are used by many community members to cross from the White City Section to Extension Eight.
This discovery puts them in danger of contracting diseases and illnesses.
“We are concerned about the safety of the children, because children are unaware of the dangers of touching medical waste, especially needles,” Cindi said.
“Community members are not even supposed to see such things lying around.”
Not knowing what do with the waste, Kgomo and Cindi took their findings to the White City Clinic, where staff claimed the medical waste didn’t belong to them.
Metro spokesperson Themba Gadebe said an investigation was conducted into the illegal dumping of a 2,5 litre container of Health Care Risk Waste (HCRW).
It was established that the size of the container indicates that it is not the type used at clinics and, therefore, White City Clinic was excluded as the source from which the container originated.
Gadebe further explained that the contents of the container was identified as the type of needles and syringes used by diabetic patients and that the origins of the dumped container couldn’t be traced.
“The container was handed in at the White City Clinic for safe-keeping and will be collected and disposed of by the council’s waste removal contractor,” he said.
“Any HCRW dumped in the community must be reported immediately to the health department, on 011 999 8771, for further action, or the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department can be contacted on 011 999 8660, to cordon off the area, in order to prevent health risks until it is cleared.”
