Dumpsite bursting at the seams

Members of the public have raised a red flag about the state of the municipal dumping site and the road leading to it.

A visit to the facility revealed that the waste has not been compacted in months and the space for dumping is getting smaller by the day.

Mountains of unprocessed garbage are blown about by the wind, while a local herd of goats grazes away.

The open field next to the dumpsite is littered with paper and plastic bags that have been blown over the concrete fence.

This does not present a pretty sight when viewed from the northern side of town.

Piles of garbage are now also being dumped along the access roads leading to the dumpsite by people who do not bother to go all the way to the site because of the limited space especially when manoevering a trailer. This has led to the general bad state of the area.

According to Mr Mandla Zwane, municipal spokesman, the waste was last compacted in September due to defective and outdated machinery, for which parts are difficult to obtain.

Mr Zwane said the dumping area is big enough and has not yet reached full capacity.

He also confirmed that there is no officially appointed waste manager, but said the municipality is at an advanced stage of making such an appointment.

The access road to the site is the responsibility of the municipality, Mr Zwane said.