Illegal dumpers have turned the huge piece of land on Rondebult Road, between Cresta Road and the R554, into a health hazard and eyesore.
Following complaints received from Boksburg community group Save the Wetlands, the Advertiser visited the area on Thursday morning, March 8, and found that the plentiful green vegetation hid mountains of rubbish.
Unscrupulous residents have befouled the area with all sorts of rubbish, including household waste, rubble, tree branches and, worst of all, plastic off-cuts of what appears to be sewage sludge.
Although mystery still surrounds the origin of the piles of rubbish blanketing the area, members of the group, consisting of residents of Sunward Park, Freeway Park and Van Dyk Park, told the Advertiser that they have seen a number of unmarked vehicles dumping rubbish in the veld.
It appears as if the rubbish is dumped regularly, and it is suspected that the plastic off-cuts are being dumped by a local plastic recycling business and that the sludge is from their sewerage system.
The Save our Wetlands group said that they have made several complaints about the issue to the authorities, including the police, but nothing has been done.
Some of the dumped rubbish has made its way into the nearby wetland.
Apart from the negative implications for the environment, the fires are also a big concern to residents because these sometimes spread close to nearby houses.
The Advertiser has requested comment from the Ekurhuleni metro. -@MthuphaFanie
