Residents and businesses have been urged to report illegal dumping.

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This follows a Ward 92 clean-up of the area behind Meadowdale Mall over the weekend of February 26.

Ward councillor Kade Guerreiro said he had received a number of complaints of illegal dumping.

“After the clean-up, the area was treated for a range of pests that we also received complaints about,” he said.
Merely two days after the clean-up, the area was strewn with newly dumped household and construction rubble.

“I’m horrified. It was so clean when we had finished over the weekend,” Guerreiro said on Tuesday last week when he met with the NEWS at the site.

He said that clean-up operations focussing on illegal dumping cost the City of Ekurhuleni millions every year.

“As quick as the metro can clean up the illegal dumping, it happens again,” Guerreiro said.

The CoE’s MMC for Environment and Waste Management André du Plessis, who was also on site, said the City does not have the resources to place a permanent security guard at illegal dumping hotspots such as the one behind Meadowdale Mall.

“We need residents and businesses to assist us in reporting illegal dumping,” he said.

Du Plessis added that the City would welcome businesses who are willing to help with the placement of security personnel at such hotspots.

“Residents and businesses need to report illegal dumping as soon as it happens. Illegal dumping ultimately costs the taxpayer”.

The NEWS spoke to a recycler, Jeff Moahipi.

“I collect cardboard and plastic, everything else is left for the other recyclers who collect glass and tins,” he said.
Moahipi has been a collector in the Germiston and Edenvale areas for the last five years.

Recycling is the only source of income for him and he uses the R150 he receives every two or three days to support himself and his family who live in Makause informal settlement.

Moahipi said he used to work for a company that used to supply wood to a number of filling stations.

“The company ran out of money and I was left without a job. This is the only thing I could find to support my family,” he said.

Moahipi said he normally doesn’t leave much of a mess because he only collects specific items from households and businesses.

Guerreiro said the illegal dumping was not only from informal recyclers.

“Much of the illegal dumping was from building sites and households.”

He added that recyclers play an important role in society.

“I want to urge community members to make use of the right channels for dumping their refuse, rubble and garden off cuttings.

“There are dedicated sites in Ekurhuleni for disposing of unwanted items, there is no need to dump illegally.”