KwaThema – The residents of KwaThema have resorted to illegal dumping following their waste not being collected by the metro for over three weeks.
This has resulted in residents resorting to illegal dumping in the area, with new illegal dumping sites popping up in and around the community.
Resident Henry Lels, who is residing not far from the illegal dumping site in Extension Three, says the smell has become unbearable.
“This site was cleaned, even though people continued to dump solid things and bricks they are no longer using. Recently it has become a nightmare because the municipality hasn’t been collecting the waste people are dumping.
“I can smell it from my house and there are flies. I am very concerned because our health and that of our children is being affected and the temperatures are very high, therefore you can only imagine,” says Lels.
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Another resident, Nkululeko Morapedi, says: “We had blue trucks coming in to collect waste, but they were chased away by the community, demanding local trucks.
“The trucks then stopped coming to pick up waste, which is why today we have piled-up waste and lots of illegal dumping sites in the area.”
Ward 77 Clr Johannes Sibeko says public workers were on strike and they had to employ temporary workers.
“We had to employ temporary workers because of the strike at the municipality.
“The community then protested the new workers saying they want to be the ones to collect the waste, which we then did,” he explains.
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He adds that the reason for trucks being blocked remains unclear.
“What we did was we took four unemployed people per ward for the job, now the strike at the municipality is over, and permanent workers are back at work.
“But the community is now also blocking the trucks for entering within the community. We are not sure what’s the reason behind that, but there will be a public meeting soon to address the matter, which will also be attended by the MEC of environmental affairs.
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