A huge pile of garbage has been dumped in KwaGuqa in Extension 5 and this has been going on for sometime now. The problem is that it is behind a shopping centre, a church and a pre-school. Residents in the area are concerned about their health as it well known that rats and rodents thrive on the cabbage and they might contract diseases from these animals.
Even though the residents are divided on the issue of illegal dumping with some saying that community must take a share of the blame, others blame the municipality for not collecting the cabbage. Others are saying the residents should be taught about the importance of the three Rs – to reduce, reuse and recycle.
Materials like organic matter like paper, plastic, metal, glass and others can be reused or be recycled.
Others maintain that residents who are found dumping illegally should be fined heavily. They believe that heavy by-laws enforcement and fines should help to reduce the problem.
“We are concerned about our health and that of our children. The dumping is near the shops and the pre-school and our children are supposed to learn in such conditions, but how can they ? This has been going on for a long time now and no one seems to care,” said a concerned resident.
Several attempts were made to contact Councillor Thomas Mashego but his phone rang and rang without being answered.
