The MMC for Environment and Waste Management, André du Plessis, visited the Heidelberg Road Transfer Station on August 12.
His visit was prompted by a need to investigate numerous complaints of illegal dumping in the area and poor service at the station.
The oversight visit forms part of the multi-party coalition government’s back-to-basics service delivery Friday programme.
Various complaints had been brought forward to the office of the mayor about the unpleasant state of the station including other related service delivery issues.
Upon his visit, hazardous waste was found scattered at the station and residents are said to feel unsafe as waste pickers climb onto their vehicles as they dump their debris.
“I found the Alberton disposal site in Heidelberg road in an absolute disgrace. No security guards, no bins, no trucks, and plastic bags all over even outside the perimeter fence. Secondly, the municipality has not collected refuge bins in the last two weeks but we still get charged, that constitutes fraud in my book,” said resident Cees Weerheim.
Much-needed intervention
Du Plessis said the executive mayor contacted him, asking him to authenticate whether these complaints were valid.
“When I got here I was flabbergasted, rather upset, at the way this facility has deteriorated. Since the mayor’s visit about three months ago, there were certain issues which we discussed and we were given an undertaking by the department to do certain things,” he said.
He said he would like to see solar panels put up at the station for the compactor to work and alleviate the workload.
“The compactor takes a large burden of the daily removal of refuse because this is an extremely busy facility. At the best of times, it struggles to cope with the capacity, which is now being exacerbated by the uncontrolled management of the site. I place the blame directly at the front door of the supervisor for the site and I have asked the HOD for consequence management for the supervisor,” explained du Plessis.
He promised that they will get sufficient equipment from different depots, TLBs and trucks to remove the waste to a landfill site.
The MMC reiterated that they want the station cleaned up so it functions and becomes clean like it once was.
Backlog of waste collection
In an interview, du Plessis also assured that Alberton should be back on normal schedule within the next two weeks.
He said they are gradually getting waste refusal vehicles out of the workshops and getting the vehicles from other private workshops.
“Of the waste refusal compactors, more than 60% are in the workshops, some of them have been in the workshops for over a year. In the long term, we are seriously considering the full maintenance lease possibility with the compactor trucks. Within three hours they would be another truck continuing,” said du Plessis.
He said they welcome the participation from the private sector in patrolling at the station. With the help of the EMPD, the MMC assured that security at the station will be beefed up.
Also present was Ward 37 Clr Ivan Naidoo, who said there have been numerous complaints from community members.
“We have nothing less than 10 complaints in a day in terms of what happens here at the site. The guys jump into the vehicles and try to take stuff out of the vehicles as people enter the site. Residents are even scared to come and dump here, hence there are illegal dumping sites in various areas,” he said.
Lance Botha, Ward 106 committee member for community safety, took upon himself to personally update the MMC on updates in getting local securities involved in security patrols.
