Residents fed up with dumping

The residents of Westgate Crescent in Hoogenhout Street, Grobler Park, are fed up.

For the past five years, they have been watching the open ground next to their complex being used as a personal dumping site by various people – private residents as well as business owners.

Their search for a solution led to them call an urgent meeting with all role-players on the afternoon of 20 September.

The councillor for Ward 85, Carl Mann, as well as members of the Joburg Property Company (JPC), the Department of Environmental Health, the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) gathered in front of the complex to see if a plan of action could be formulated.

The executive manager of the JPC, Fanis Sardionis, told those present that the property next to the Princess informal settlement is known as Plot 62 and, contradictory to what is believed, it is not owned by JPC – they only manage it on behalf of the city.

He also said this matter should be escalated to the Department of Housing (which was not represented at the meeting) to get clarity. “Housing need to inform us of their plans for Plot 62. Once we know this plan, we can commit to doing a clean-up and decide on more permanent measures,” Sardionis said.

It was also suggested that the by-laws should be enforced more sternly by the JMPD. Sergeant George Wilhelm replied, “We have a lot of illegal dumping sites in Region C and if we do not catch them in the act not much else can be done. To do what we are committed to doing we need the help of the community. If you see illegal dumping happening, take a photo of the person and take down the company name and number.”

The residents indicated that most dumping takes place between 11pm and 3am, so Wilhelm said he would make sure the JMPD patrols the area during that period every day for the next week to see if they can catch the culprits.

The meeting was adjourned, after a decision was made to take this complaint to the Department of Housing to find a solution.

“We have been struggling with this issue for the past five years and need an immediate resolution before it becomes a provincial issue,” Mann said.

Assurances were given by the JPC that another meeting, with workable solutions, will be called as soon as feedback is received from the Department of Housing.

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