Illegal dumping ignored by municipality
A pattern appears to be forming with residents' complaints falling on deaf ears at the municipality
RICHARDS Bay residents are fed up with the unsightly mess caused by illegal dumping, both in business parks and residential areas.
Not limited to any specific suburbs, the scourge of illegal dumping has become commonplace, from Alton to Birdswood and Meerensee.
‘This has been going on for months and, while the culprits try their best to hide their illegally dumped waste in the bushes, it is there and the ‘dump sites’ are growing,’ said a Birdswood resident who has reached his wits end.
‘You cannot see the site from the road but once you reach the edge of the greenbelt, there is a load of rubble scattered along the little stream.
‘We used to see hippos in this area and it was awesome having them so close to where we live.’
ALSO READ: Clampdown move on illegal dumping in Empangeni
This ‘dump site’ is in Pelican Parade and consists mainly of building rubble, empty paint tins and other items that appear to have been used in house renovation work.
‘I have tried to report this illegal behaviour to the municipality but have just been told to keep phoning back,’ said the frustrated resident.
Another case of illegal dumping is at Five Mile Beach in Meerensee.
A concerned resident has been keeping track of the issue for a long time and has also had no luck in reporting it to the municipality.
The greenbelt along the beach and the now barricaded access roads are fast becoming littered with all kinds of refuse, from building rubble to other general waste.
This is the third case of illegal dumping in Richards Bay reported on by the ZO and, not only are these dump sites unsightly and unhygienic but they also pose major environmental hazards to animals and the greenbelt areas.
Numerous attempts to report these cases to the City of uMhlathuze have fallen on deaf ears, with the city communications department continually unavailable for comment.
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