Resident Frikkie Botes is irked by the continual illegal dumping by vagrants on the corner of 1st Avenue and Dublin Road, Westdene. Botes said that he had reported the problem to Pikitup and the City of Joburg, who have yet to find a solution.
“The owner of the building built a fence around the area but the City made him tear it down as it contravened bylaws,” he said. Botes blamed the vagrants who scratched in the bins when the bins are put out on the pavement awaiting collections.
He said the vagrants pulled the dustbins to the corner and turned them out in order to scratch through the rubbish. Botes pointed out that the area was an eyesore and that the community is at its wits’ end, trying to find a solution. He claimed that often vagrants set the rubbish alight, and this created even more problems.
“The fire makes a lot of smoke and I fear that it may get out of control one day and burn down our houses,” he said.
Botes alleged that the corner was rife to muggings and was not safe as they could happen at anytime. Ward 69 councillor Katja Naumann, confirmed that the area was an ongoing problem that needed to be attended to. “I have reported the problem many times to the City and still nothing seems to be done about it,” she said.
She added that the complaint lay with the Department of Health at the City and that they had yet to find a solution to the problem.
Comment from the City is still awaited.
