Illegal dumping is a huge problem not only in eMalahleni but all over the country, people just dump and litter everywhere.
Means are made to clean up; even programmes have been set up to clean the environment, but alas, there are still community members of Hlalanikahle who think it is their right to be dumping wherever they want.
According to Besilindile Primary School principal Mr Joshua Mabogwane problems of people dumping near the school started last year and he is concerned about the health and the welfare of the children.
“The smell comes this way every time the wind blows this way. The dumping site is near our school kitchen and that is very bad as well. I did approach the ward Cllr Jappie Msibi who told me the area has been declared a dumping site by the municipality. I do not understand the process being followed to declare an area a dumping site but here we have a dumping site near the school,” said Mr Mabogwane.
He said in the coming weeks they will be visited by a nutritionist and he does not know what will be the outcome of the report.
A member of the community was seen dumping in the area and it could be seen that he came from very far to dump near the school.
In Hlalanikahle near a cemetery people were also found dumping very close to a graveyard irrespective of the nearby graves.
Another area in Hlalanikahle has been turned into a car wash after it was an illegal dumping site – something positive about the area.
Cllr Jappie Msibi said the site indeed have been declared a dumping site because they’re trying to close open holes in the area.
“People were told to dump to close the holes but some community members just dump anywhere. People from other areas come here even at the night to dump. It is very hard to control the dumping because even vans and lorries come here to dump. I do have sympathy with the school, it is wrong to dump near the school and not at open holes, maybe we need to engage with the municipality to have a dumping site far from the school,” added Cllr Msibi.
