Apart from posing a health hazard and causing damage to the environment, the widespread problem of illegal dumping has also come at a huge cost to the metro and taxpayers.
The City of Ekurhuleni confirmed that it spends at least R80-million annually to clean up rubbish discarded in illegal locations.
The metro said there is still a funding gap in the budget to sufficiently deal with the growing crisis, which is largely preventable if people were responsibly disposing of their waste.
When asked how big the illegal dumping problem is in Ekurhuleni, the metro said it is widespread. So much that as part of its programme of clearing identified illegal sites, municipal workers clean up hundreds of illegal sites across the metro per year.
No excuse
Reacting to claims that the closure of some of the City’s landfill sites has given rise to this problem, metro spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said there is no excuse for dumping waste illegally in suburbs and next to roads.
“The metro provides a reliable refuse collection service and drop-off facilities across the City,” said Dlamini.
He described the illegal practice as a behavioural and attitude problem.
“The City has sufficient alternative sites and adequate space to accommodate all waste generated within its area of jurisdiction.
“Waste collection is rendered weekly in line with the refuse collection calendar and all areas are on schedule.
There are mini waste disposal sites that are open seven days a week to receive excess waste generated from individual households,” explained Dlamini.
Dlamini pointed out that litter-picking services are also rendered along main routes and open spaces, and added that the measures to completely alleviate this crisis require an integrated and inter-departmental approach.
Law enforcement
When asked whether the metro is determined to bring waste criminals to justice, Dlamini said, “Yes, through the enforcement of the integrated waste management by-law promulgated in June 2021.
“However, the City’s legal department is still in the process of finalising the new schedule of fines. The City is currently using the old schedule of fines in dealing with those found guilty of unlawfully depositing waste.”
Waste reappears after clean-ups
Despite spending a staggering amount of money annually on efforts to clear waste from dumping hot spots, dumped waste reappears almost immediately after clean-ups.
Among the top dumping sites in Boksburg is the eyesore located along the verge of St Anthony’s and Jonas streets in Reiger Park, Elsburg Road in Ramaphosa and Main Reef Road near Angelo and Jerusalem informal settlements.
The metro said it was aware of the problem of illegal dumping and promised to undertake a major clean-up of the affected spots in Reiger Park, in particular, starting from January 21.
According to Dlamini, in Reiger Park alone the metro spent R3-m to clear illegal waste sites last year. About 15 illegal dumpsites were identified and repeatedly cleaned in the area last year alone.
This publication visited the most affected spots in Reiger Park on January 24 and found that workers have cleared the dumping sites over the weekend, but the household waste was again accumulating.
Lack of enforcement
A resident who asked not to be identified told the Advertiser that there appears to be no effort made to catch those responsible.
“We have discovered that some residents hire people to clean their yards, but they don’t bother to check where these cleaners dispose of the waste. I think the cleaners are also aware that what they are doing is not right because we have seen many of them sneaking into the illegal dumpsites after dark to discard their waste,” said the resident.
Concerned residents called on the metro to crack down on such a crime by introducing strong and ambitious environmental laws, and also urged residents to also do their bit to keep the city free of litter.
The public may report dumpers and litter to ward councillors, the environment and waste management offices, EMPD, or waste depots.
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