Dump concerns Ivory Park community member

An Ivory Park community member living opposite the Swazi Inn Taxi Rank claimed that no efforts were being made by the City of Joburg to help clean their area.

Agnes Ntshane claimed that she has been reporting the illegal dumping of waste as well as non-functional toilets since the previous councillor in Ward 133 was in office.

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Ntshane said, “The said councillor was removed from office and Julia Gololo was appointed ward councillor. On 20 March 2019, I went to Gololo’s office, who then called the relevant department, the environmental health department. An inspector came and assessed the problem but nothing was done.

“I ended up going to the municipality, who then referred me to an environmental health inspector in Region A, Ward 133. From March, I communicated with him trying to get this matter resolved until 15 October when they told me that they have had a meeting and were still attending to the matter.”

Ntshane added that the place is filled with rubble and smells terrible. She added that hawkers and trucks come to the spot and dump their rubble.

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“I have an infant who is three weeks old in the house. I cannot open the windows because of the smell, people [urinate] there in public as well because there aren’t any toilets. I do not know what to do because I sent emails at the beginning of the year and still, I received no feedback.”

Ward 133 councillor, Julia Gololo, said that she also tried a number of times to get the toilets fixed and the site cleaned but nothing has been done.

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“I ended up using my own money in December last year to clean the waste in the area because the community members were fighting with me, yet, we have inspectors who are doing absolutely nothing,” Gololo said.

However, Muzi Mkwanazi, spokesperson at Pikitup, said that the area was cleaned, adding that it was an offence to dump waste.

“In this instance, nearby residents should report illegal dumpers to the Johannesburg Metro Police Department. In this regard residents can take photographs of illegal dumpers, the date the time and send the complaint to JMPD.

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“Furthermore, residents have the responsibility of ensuring that their area is clean by refraining from dumping waste illegally, in cases where they have excess waste such waste must be disposed at Pikitup multipurpose drop-off centres nearest to them.”

Members of the public can report illegal dumping to the Johannesburg Metro Police Department via WhatsApp on

082 779 1361.

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