Community urged to report illegal dumping – Guerreiro
“Under the new administration fines will be issued and those responsible will be requested to clean up their mess.”
Ongoing illegal dumping throughout Ward 92 is a continuous issue for Clr Kade Guerreiro.
Although 19 illegal dumping hot spots have been identified in the ward, one location of particular concern is the area surrounding the Croydon Substation.
According to Guerreiro, illegal dumping has been an ongoing problem for years.
“With illegal dumping comes the potential of fire, which could be devastating for a substation,” said Guerreiro.
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Since elected as councillor for the ward last year, Guerreiro, with the assistance of the City of Ekurhuleni, managed to get the area cleaned on two occasions.
“MMC for Environment and Waste Management André du Plessis also visited the site with me and agreed that it needs more attention to ensure people stop dumping illegally as it costs the metro millions to constantly keep it clean.”
Guerreiro said those who commit the crime of dumping will find any open space to use.
“Those committing such a crime think it is ok to dump even though there are three landfill sites in the area that can help.”
Guerreiro said over the years illegal dumping has become a daily problem, with many perpetuating the act because they believe they will not get caught.
“Instead of going to the dumpsites, it is easier to illegally dump.”
He said in some instances companies don’t want to pay to discard the waste and so resort to dumping it.
“When waste is collected by City of Ekurhleni staff they go through the dumped material to find anything that could identify its origin,” said Guerreiro.
“Under the new administration, fines will be issued and those responsible will be requested to clean up their mess.”
Highlighting the community’s efforts, Guerreiro said residents have started reporting any incidents of illegal dumping.
He said some residents have resorted to naming and shaming culprits on social media and requesting wrongdoers to return and clean their dumped material.
Guerreiro also reports any illegal dumping that he comes across.
Of the illegal dumping hot spots in Ward 92, Guerreiro said some of these locations have already been cleaned four times by the new administration.
Despite this, the dumping continues.
Guerreiro believes that to stop illegal dumping, not only in Ward 92 but in general, more law enforcement is needed to issue fines are issued and to hold the individuals or companies responsible.
Other methods that Guerreiro believes will reduce illegal dumping is the erection of bollards and CCTV cameras around dumping hot spots.
“We also need to ensure the community at large stands together and reports matters,” Guerreiro said.
Guerreiro encouraged community members, who witness illegal dumping, to take photos and videos (when safe to do so) and report it to the authorities.
He said that the photos and videos showing the vehicle’s registration or the company’s branding will assist the city in identifying the culprits.
Information may be reported to Guerreiro at Kade.guerreiro@ekurhuleni.gov.za or 071 899 8646.
Alternatively, report information directly to the city via call.centre@ekurhuleni.gov.za or 011 972 9400/ 0860 543 000.
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