A rubble dump in full public view has turned into a mountain of rubble in just a few months changing the landscape of Alexandra and Kew.
The ‘mountain’ dump which is said to be on private property and seemingly still growing has emerged at a time when the City of Joburg is struggling to contain illegal dumping in Region E.
The dump is about 15m high and 30m long and stretches westwards from the corner of 8th Avenue along Vincent Tshabalala Road. Also, it next to a section of the same road riddled with potholes reported by this paper on 28 February, 28 March and 18 April which still haven’t been fixed. Trucks and compactors can be seen regularly dumping, spreading and compacting the rubble. Also groups of men prowl the dump competing feverishly for scrap metal and other objects, oblivious of health dangers from concrete dust, asbestos and other harmful building by-products.
In the past few weeks, Marlboro Metro police had impounded nine trucks caught attempting to dump along the Jukskei river.
Station commander Superintendent Ignus Jona said police needed to clamp down on this illegal activity before it got out of control. Also ward councillors have expressed similar concerns with councillor Mokgadi Radebe of Ward 81 stating that dumping was rampant in most of Region E.
“Trucks of all sizes are caught by or escape from Metro police daily,” she said. “I have intercepted some of them in the act, and while police are doing a good job this illegal activity is large scale business and done very quickly to avoid detection, even during daytime.
“Some of the dumpers claim to be from Thembisa, Sandton and Soweto. Those from around Alexandra, Kew and Lombardy say they dump nearby as legal dumping sites are far away.”
City council officials have taken up the challenge and exposed Region E representatives to projects in the 2014/15 integrated development plans to curb this problem. They include housing, vegetable gardens for women’s co-operatives, parks, a controlled dump site and strengthening of bylaw enforcement.
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