Ward 112 councillor concerned about illegal dumping on Garden Road

Ward 112 councillor Lerato Mphefo has issued a stern warning to the residents and garden service providers to refrain from dumping illegally.

Mphefo said those found infringing the law and by-laws will be issued with hefty fines.
She said this on February 16, when she revealed that Garden Road was a challenge and urged residents to report such incidents to her and law enforcement agencies.
Mphefo said there was a piece of land on the road that was used as a dumpsite but it was not easy to control as it belonged to a private owner.

“We seem to have an increase in illegal dumping now in our area. I urge residents to be our eyes and ears by reporting dumping with pictures and videos, but also not to put their lives in danger when they do so. This will help us as a collective to deal with the perpetrators. I will speak to Environmental Health regarding stand-alone stands that are not properly taken care of by the owners,” said Mphefo.

She said Environmental Health will first issue them with notices to take care of their property. Should they not obey the notices, City Parks and Zoo will do it on their behalf but impose a fee on their municipal rates to recoup the money.

Asked how prevalent the challenges of illegal dumping are in the area, Mphefo said, “To a certain extent, we have managed to deal with these challenges. When I drive around and see someone with garden refuse or rubble, I follow them to see where they dispose of it. Residents also need to know where exactly some of these garden service providers dispose,” she added.

JMPD spokesperson Superintendent Xolani Fihla said illegal dumping is a serious concern because it is detrimental to the environment and it is against the city’s by-laws to illegally dump, but it is not a criminal offence.

“Yes, there have been numerous complaints received for illegal dumping in Noordwyk and other areas throughout the city which officers are acting upon. A fine is issued when a person is caught illegally dumping in the City of Johannesburg. The fines range from R1 500 to R5 000. The R1 500 fine falls under Public Open Spaces By-laws and the R5 000 fine falls under the Waste Management By-laws. Unfortunately, we cannot arrest perpetrators for contravening these by-laws; we can only issue fines.”

Fihla concluded that the fines are stiff enough, especially the R5 000 fine, but the challenge is that some of these illegal dumpers are using vehicles which are not registered and that makes it difficult for officers to trace the perpetrators.

Related articles:
Illegal dumping in Glen Austin affects species at the Bird and Bullfrog Sanctuary
Councillors call for Dale dumpsite re-opening following increase in illegal dumping