“We are fed up!”- Protea Glen residents
Protea Glen residents have had enough of illegal dumping.
Residents of Protea Glen extension 11 say they are fed up with the plague of illegal dumping that has infected and affected the community. A group of the residents spent their Human Rights Day cleaning an illegal dumping hot spot near COPESSA Park in the area.
Residents want the street adjacent to the park extended as they believe its extension will help curb the problem as people will no longer have the space to dump.
“We are fed up with illegal dumping! We are asking the councillor to get JRA (Johannesburg Road Agency) to come and extend this street because it’s also too narrow so there is a danger of accidents happening,” Abel Mafika, a concerned resident, said.
The residents want a stop put to illegal dumping as it poses health risks amongst other things.
“Our neighbours are the ones that dump here and claim they have nowhere else to dump their rubbish. This smell affects me badly and brings rats to my house. I also run a creche here which puts the lives of children at risk,” said Thabo Chochoe, a resident directly affected by the issue.
“I woke up early in the morning, took my tools and asked the other men on my street to come help me then we started cleaning here. This is not how I wanted to spend my holiday but there’s nothing else I can do,” Chochoe continued.
Locals claim the issue has previously been taken up with Ward 135Â councillor, Elliot Sithole. Residents say they have been asking the councillor to assist with getting JRA to come fix the road but to no avail according to Mafika.
The councillor stated that issues such as these should be presented for the IDP (Integrated Development Plan) so they can be considered in the budget for the financial year.
He, however, claims to be unaware of this specific issue and stated he could therefore not offer comment on issues he has no knowledge of.
