André du Plessis, councillor for Ward 23 and DA shadow MMC for Environmental Development in Ekurhuleni, has raised concerns about the Atlasville mini dumpsite.
“After the completion of the dumpsite, which cost the metro about R4-million, we thought that the situation at the dumpsite will improve but it didn’t.”
He claims that the newly built concrete structures at the dumpsite have been badly designed.
“The design should have enable motorists to have more space in between each other. It should have allowed for off-loaders to dump their waste on the sides and then drive to an exit point rather than making a U-turn to go back to the entrance, this causes chaos.
“There are also no formalised recycling facilities to separate waste,” he said.
Du Plessis said when it rains there’s flooding on top of the concrete ramp which restricts off-loaders to dispose of their waste.
“The designer shouldn’t have closed the ramp at the back, it should have been left open so that water can pass freely,” du Plessis said.
He said only one gate is being used by off loaders at the facility.
“The metro must consider opening the second gate because residents have been complaining to me about traffic. “Residents have to wait in long queues especially on Saturdays while vehicles pile up outside as they wait to dump their waste.”
The lack of proper working ablution facilities at the dumpsite was another issue he complained about.
“The toilets aren’t working and some of the pipes are not connected. Employees hired by a contractor have to share two chemical toilets,” du Plessis said.
When the Advertiser recently visited the site, one of the employees at the site complained about the lack of ablution facilities as well as water.
“Based on the type of work we do, we should have showers that we can utilise when we knock off so we can bathe and go home clean.”
When the Advertiser visited the site, ablution facilities were turned into a store room where buckets, clothes, tools and even cold drinks where kept inside.
Du Plessis said that he and the oversight committee visited the site recently to resolve the poor management issues at the site. He added that he will present his findings at the upcoming council meeting.
The Advertiser is still awaiting comment from the metro.
