EVANDER – Residents have had enough of the man-made rubbish dump which runs along Wilton Nkwayi Road in Evander.
They believe something needs to be done to remove this horrendous sight once and for all.
With Govan Mbeki Municipality’s failure to remove refuse the past few weeks because the workers did not have personal protective equipment (PPE), other residents have been adding to the already disastrous looking dumpsite.
Anything from building rubble, household and business refuse, dead animals and garden rubbish litter the whole area as far as the eye can see.
For nearly a kilometre this is the sight one sees before entering the residential area.
Property owners and tenants have to bear not only the sight, smell, rodent infestation, vagrants, and toxins, but also the fact that their families and everything they own are so close to a potential fire hazard.
A retired couple, who wished to remain anonymous, said they are leaving Evander after 40 years. One of the deciding factors was to sell their property now before the illegal dumpsite gets worse and their property value decreases.
Another home owner of 15 years who lives right next to the man-made rubbish dump said this has been a problem for more than a year.
“It sounds like we have huge animals in our roof. You will not believe the sounds we have to put up with, especially at night. We regularly find huge rodents in our garden that our dogs killed.
“We have had visitors look at us with disgust, asking if we live next to a rubbish dump. This is not even zoned as a rubbish dump. I’m too embarrassed to invite people to my house.
“Last year our Telkom lines were stolen. This is also inviting unwanted criminal activity. There are vagrants and homeless people living right here by these bushes and trees.
“When there is a fire we fear because we use gas. We have huge gas bottles; one wrong turn of the wind then the flames is in my yard.
“Last weekend my husband loaded our refuse and took it to an actual dumping site in Secunda,” said the home-owner.
People living right next to the dumping site abide by the rules and keep their rubbish in steel baskets in front of their homes, but that however is not the case for some residents living up this street and businesses in town.
The irony of the story is that a policeman had also called the Ridge Times newspaper to raise awareness about this area.
A suggestion was made for sign boards to be erected stating illegal dumping is prohibited, in this way the authorities can issue fines and prosecute unlawful dumpers.
However, coincidentally, the Ridge Times reporter witnessed and confronted an off-duty policeman who had casually walked down the road with a shopping trolley with rubbish which he threw out and set it alight right next to a house, all this while the wind was howling.
The policeman was asked if he was aware dumping refuse in this area is illegal, committing arson is a crime and as a law enforcer he should be setting an example.
“The municipality is not collecting our refuse for weeks, what else must I do?” was the off-duty policeman’s response.
The police spokesman distanced himself from the event and said the policeman was off duty.
The Ridge Times sent questions and photos to the spokesmen of Govan Mbeki Municipality via email and WhatsApp, however no response was received at the time of going to press.
