RESIDENTS who insist on taking their rubbish out on the incorrect collection days are adding to the growing problem of illegal dumping, especially in Che Guevara Road and making clean-up operations and ongoing headache for Cleansing and Solid Waste inspectors.
This was revealed at a meeting organised by local councillor Mmabatho Tembe with staff from the Cleansing and Solid Waste Unit and eThekwini Municipality. Tembe called the meeting with officials representing wards 33 and 28 to discuss dumping in the area and to come up with ideas of how to tackle this issue in the wards.
Mduduzi Zwane, inspector, and Rajen Aiyer, area cleaning officer, spoke about their battles with people who took their rubbish out on the incorrect collection days and explained how this added to the issue of illegal dumping, especially in Che Guevara Road. They said the unit had attempted to educate residents on how to dispose of waste and explained to them what illegal dumping was defined as, but it continued to be a problem they were having to deal with.
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Aiyer mentioned a business that had been dumping building rubble at the intersection of Umbilo and Alan Paton Roads, where the meeting was held. He said after issuing the business with a warning, the rubble had been cleared away.
Councillor Tembe said she was dedicated to combating DSW issues this year.
“I plan to work together with the departments to combat issues. I still say the only way illegal dumping will be curbed is to name and shame offenders. Illegal dumping won’t stop with just reporting dumping to ward councillors alone, we need to name and shame these people and take this to Metro Police for enforcement,” she said.
She said areas such as Davenport, Che Guevara Road and lower King Dinuzulu Road should be included as part of the CBD and should be cleaned every day.
Tembe said she had met with Roads Provision on Tuesday regarding hiring labourers to take on street sweeping in the ward.
“The contracts are in place, now we just need to hire workers. DSW is working with limited resources and doesn’t have enough manpower to clean as often as I would like, but I am working on this to ensure the area is clean for residents,” she said.
Following the meeting, Tembe did a drive-around with officials to identify problem areas.
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