The issue of illegal dumping has hit the Sandton area once again and the Lower Sandhurst Community Association has caught a culprit in the act.
On 31 March at about 9.30am, administrator of the association, Lori Klein, noticed a truck full of rubble parked in George Lea South Park along William Nicol Drive. Klein, who captured images of the culprits, said it took them 15 seconds to dump all the rubble before ramping the pavement onto William Nicol Drive.
Klein said the issue of illegal dumping in the park had been intermittent over the year, but had grown into a serious problem now.
She said, “We’ve tried our best to bust them but they come at various times and it takes so quickly for them to dump their rubble and make a getaway.”
Ward councillor for Ward 90 Anthony Still said, “We’ve noticed that it’s [dumping] growing. The more some do it and get away with it, the more people will take a chance. It’s completely anti-community.”
Still added that the builders and contractors who allegedly dump their rubble were not the only one’s responsible but also their clients who were not prepared to pay for their rubble to be removed and disposed of at official dump sites. He said, “There are some wealthy customers not far from here who are not being responsible. Then they are going on about it as a problem.”
Spokesperson for City Parks Jenny Moodley said, “Unfortunately George Lea South [Park] is also experiencing a problem of illegal dumping. Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo has erected bollards as a deterrent to vehicles accessing the facility, however, these are also removed or the rubble is left on the sidewalk adjacent to the park.”
Moodley said the agency would remove the rubble in May. She added, “Businesses and residents too can play a greater role in stamping out illegal dumping by insisting that their rubble removal companies provide waste disposal invoices issued by the respective landfill site, prior to being paid.”
Details: 0800 205 005
Also read Illegal Dumping on William Nicol and Residents fed up with non-stop illegal dumping in Marlboro
