GMM and DA respond to Kinross dumping site
Everyone has the constitutional right to have an environment that is not harmful to his or her health and to have the environment protected for the benefit of present and future generations through reasonable legislation and other measures.
KINROSS – Residents can not endure another day of the stench, rot, rodent-infested, litter and burning of rubbish at the rubbish dump that is getting dangerously closer to residential areas.
The dumping site is located about 250 meters from the residential area.
No. 59 of 2008: National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008, states that everyone has the constitutional right to have an environment that is not harmful to his or her health and to have the environment protected for the benefit of present and future generations through reasonable legislative and other measures.
For more on this Act see https://www.dffe.gov.za/sites/default/files/legislations/nema_amendment_act59_0.pdf.
In response to the Ridge Times, Lucky Mhlongo, acting head of communications for GMM said: “The municipality is in the process of appointing a suitable service provider to efficiently operate and be responsible for maintaining the Kinross waste disposal site.
“This intervention will go a long way in addressing problems facing the community of Kinross who reside within the vicinity of the dumping site,” said Mhlongo.
Speaking to the Ridge Times, DA Ward 17 councillor Jaco Tesner said: “We have been battling with this rubbish dump for some time.”
Tesner said that residents are contributing to illegal dumping and do not make use of the actual dumping site.
However, residents say accessing the actual site is dangerous because of the scavengers harassing people and fighting amongst themselves.
One resident who owns a garden service, said it is not safe for her as a woman alone to go to the dumping site.
She told the Ridge Times she had to also replace the tires on her vehicle when it caught a puncture at the dumping site.
“There is currently the cleaning up of the site,” said Tesner.
He explained that earthmoving equipment is being used to gather all the rubbish together which eventually will be moved to the original dumping site.
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“Expanded public works programme (EPWP) employees will come in to clean the surrounding areas once the rubbish has been moved to the dumping site.
“Our biggest problem is the community not dumping their rubbish at the original dumping site due to fear and being stopped by the scavengers,” said Tesner.
He said that law enforcement had previously stepped in and removed the scavengers and their shacks.
“Even after the scavengers were removed and the area cleaned up, residents and garden services continued to dump below the dumping site,” said Tesner. It is alleged that the municipality did not keep to their payment agreement with the service provider maintaining the dumping site.
He said a local businessman is willing to put up a guard house and boom gates at the original dumping site.
Tesner does not know about the increase in housebreaking or attempted housebreaking in the Kinross area, however, he is aware of housebreakings and attempted housebreakings in the Thistle Grove area.
“Not many service providers want to be involved with GMM due to GMM not keeping to their payment agreement, that is the main reason.
“We are doing everything to get this matter resolved. We are succeeding, however, there are channels that we have to go through,” concluded Tesner.
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