WHILE illegal dumping has long been a concern for Glenhills residents, particularly at the Malacca Road, Ryde Place intersection, illegal dumpers are now targeting a new section where rubbish seems to be piling up on an almost weekly basis.
According to local resident, Arianne Hayes-Hill, illegal dumpers are now targeting a section of Legacy Road (just off Malacca Road) due to its seclusion.
The road which leads to the upper section of the Malacca Road Informal Settlement and the northern depot of the eThekwini Electricity Department is shielded allowing those involved to continue dumping with no fear of repercussions.
Besides garden refuse, building rubble and other items covers the section used for illegal dumping just metres away from the Zuzulwazi Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centre posing a health and safety hazard to young children.
Read also: Residents fed up with dumping in Glenhills
“The dumping initially started here due to Malacca Road dump closing early because of Covid-19 regulations but as time has gone on, more and more dumpers have been utilizing this site. It is well sheltered from the main road which emboldens those doing this. I work closely with the community of the settlement and we came up with a proposal to employ someone to stop the illegal dumping but after an encounter with one of the dumpers, we knew they would not listen.
“It is pure laziness and disregard for the community that fuels this type of behaviour. I actually caught a guy offloading rubbish on the road and when I confronted him about it, he nonchalantly said ‘wouldn’t it be better if I dumped it here than on the side of the road’. I’m worried this may spiral as the illegal dumping continues unabated. While the dumping at the Ryde Place, Malacca Road intersection is concerning, this has the potential to get even worse,” she said.
Hayes-Hill also voiced her concern for the safety of children from the settlement and the nearby ECD.
“This dumping is taking place just a few metres away from an ECD centre. It poses not only a fire hazard but a health and safety one too. My role now is educating the community to take a photograph of the number plates of those who use this section to dump and then I will follow up with Durban Solid Waste law enforcement. It is quite disgusting and I do feel the City has a part to play as well as their depot is less than 20 metres from the growing pile of rubbish,” she said.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za). At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.
You can also sign up for news alerts on Telegram. Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5532.
For more from Northglen News follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram
