Family gatvol with dumpsite in front of their home

An Alex family, concerned for their health, pleaded with neighbours not to trash the front of their yard.

This rubbish is allegedly piled up every night outside the family’s brick wall and next to some neighbours’ entrance gates, whose houses are at the back of the concerned family’s home.

Rampi Rampoto (62) of 2nd Avenue condemned the perpetrators’ actions, which he said was a sign of disrespect. “We all have our council-issued dust bins to use and we have a responsibility to dump larger waste items at designated dump sites. We cannot pass this role onto others,” said an exasperated Rampoto.

The family has a fair knowledge of who the culprits are, but they haven’t approached them, yet. These culprits began dumping at night a couple of years ago, despite neighbours’ protestations.

The dumping is unrelenting with larger items like broken ironing boards, a mattress and now, even rubble is being dumped in the mornings.

“We just wonder why the culprits want their place to be clean at our expense,” said Rampoto. As a result, rats are breeding at the site, invading their home, ravaging food items, destroying furniture and walls. A rat once bit his disabled elderly sister near the eye, causing an injury that took time to heal. “This has affected her sight,” explained Rampoto, who urged neighbours to cooperate on such matters to avoid spreading diseases and endangering their health, especially children’s health and safety, who are known to have been bitten by the rats, regularly.

His concern also comes at a time when the City council has urged residents to cooperate and become involved in a planned anti-dumping campaign.

Read: Mashaba rubbishes claims of privatising Pikitup

What should be done to keep Alex clean? Share your view on WhatsApp Alex News on 079 49 5345.