Eldos extension 2 residents petition to close the landfill in Union Road
‘We are gatvol of this landfill’ - Allona Abdulla.
Concerned residents from Eldorado Park, extension 2, are encouraging residents to sign the petition to close the landfill in Union Road. Concerned residents Nicole Myburgh, Allona Abdulla, and Petunia Bailey are just a few of the residents who already signed the petition.
Abdulla said: “I live in extension 6 but I grew up in extension 2 and this dump has always been a problem. People assume that this dump is only affecting people in extension 2 but I moved to extension 6 and we are infested with flies, mosquitoes, flying cockroaches and it’s all because of this dump. I am a concerned resident, we are not politically affiliated, we are just concerned residents who have been asking for years to shut this dump down. It’s like nobody is listening to us.”
Myburgh who lives right across the road from the landfill explained that there is an informal settlement that locals call ‘Lapland’. The informal settlement is on the landfill and the resident explained that she is concerned about the health of the residents living there. “These guys on Lapland even rub themselves with mud so that the mosquitoes don’t bite them,” explained Myburgh.
Bailey shared that their first meeting with the City Council was in 2016 but nothing has been done since then. “Government is not coming to the party and on Lapland there are also undocumented Lesotho nationals living there and the officials are aware of it,” said Bailey.
[also read] – Housing Crisis persist in Eldorado Park
According to the concerned residents, the community is also infested with snakes and rats. Myburgh further explained that the smell from the landfill is so bad that when they are cooking, they have to close their windows and doors to avoid the smell and the flies.
The residents are also concerned that the value of their houses is dropping and they are struggling to sell them.
“I can say that at least 90% of us living here, suffer from Sinusitis, Asthma, and Allergies. We are spending so much money on insect repellent, pesticides, and medication,” added Myburgh.
Abdulla explained: “This landfill has also increased the crime in the area, the drug addicts are stealing our stuff and selling it inside the landfill. Another problem that we have on the roads are the guys who are recycling, the left lane in Union Road and Main Road now belong to them, they have no fear and don’t realise that drivers have right of way and at the end of the day, it’s the drivers who will have to pay if anything has to happen. Recyclers even fight for the content that is coming from the trucks, the other day we even had a shootout up on the landfill. We are gatvol of this landfill.”
On the alleged high crime rate in extension 2, Eldorado Park SAPS Constable Roxanne Gibb encouraged residents to report all incidents relating to crime within the area to Eldorado Park SAPS.
Ward Councillor; Fazel Jaffer also commented on the issue of the landfill; “That landfill site is a major issue for quite some years, I have had engagements with the former MMC of housing and even had a public meeting around that issue.
“The City of Johannesburg made commitments to close down the landfill site in 2020. I’m in support of those residents in extension 2, the stench is terrible and the rats as well. I have attempted to submit a motion in council with regards to the informal settlement next to it called Lapland but was rejected by the programming committee. We will do another attempt to submit it.
“The motion contains the following information to have the City form a steering committee of Home affairs, SAPS, The Lesotho Embassy, and the Department of Infrastructure Development to carve a way forward of how to get rid of the informal settlement. Once we achieve that, the street lights in Union Road can work again without being vandalised.”
If you are interested in signing the petition to close the landfill in Union Road, you can visit the website; change.org.
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