Landfill, transfer stations open, despite strike
The town’s dumping sites are still open, including the Twizza and Dennesig waste transfer stations.
According to DA councillor Johann Dyason, the tip-bins at Dennesig’s waste transfer station are full, but residents are still allowed entry to the fenced-off station to dump their rubbish loads inside.
“Dumping inside the barricaded area is allowed, so residents can still offload their garbage there for now,” Mr Dyason said.
With the current strike action underway, Mr Dyason expects the transfer stations to fill up to capacity soon.
A notification of closure has not been issued.
At the main landfill site, where ongoing problems are being experienced by smaller refuse removal businesses, a TLB is being used to flatten garbage heaps.
Access for all vehicles, however, remains a problem.
According to the municipality, the contractor signed to maintain the landfill is responsible for their own machinery and equipment.
The municipality has no responsibility to supply any vehicles, machinery or equipment needed to maintain the site.
“The site is not properly maintained according to acceptable standards, the current contractor can go and learn a thing or two from the eMalahleni landfill, where maintenance is on par,” a local skippy entrepreneur told the paper.
They fear that the current strike would again lead to a situation where transfer station attendees will demand access fees.
“During the previous strikes, transfer station gates were barred with illegal access fees of R100 being charged for entry,” another business owner told www.mobserver.co.za.
There’s nowhere to report issues like illegal access fees being charged during the strike, with the municipality demanding photographic evidence from the public.
The refuse business community have also expressed worries over the looming tariff increases, which will be implemented on July 1.
