While the eThekwini Municipality tries to sort out an illegal dump site in Umkhubaan, another has appeared nearby in Cato Manor.

Previous reports on the site suggested that trucks and bakkies had been offloading domestic refuse and building material on a vacant piece of land alongside a cliff for three years. Over the years the land was levelled but in the past six months something at the bottom of the pile of debris had caught alight. Smoke from the debris had caused discomfort to communities in the vicinity and those downwind including Westville and Mount Vernon.

eThekwini ward 33 Councillor Fran Kristopher and a representative of the Manor Gardens Ratepayers Association/Urban Improvement Precinct (UIP), and a few members of the affected surrounding communities conducted a site inspection on Friday.

On site they found an excavator and a fire engine removing some of the debris and hosing small pockets of the fire. Kristopher said a few kilometers away, she noticed a tipper truck exiting a plot on Sunderland Road.

“Upon entering this site, we found heaps of debris from wood, garden refuse, and building material including tiles, paint drums and plastic sheets. This has now become the new dump-spot as there is too much clean-up activity at Umkhubaan dumpsite for these dumpers to offload discreetly,” she said.

The vehicle registration was taken down and handed to authorities for prosecution. Kristopher said the truck belonged to a prominent trucking company that was also linked to previous footage obtained from the Umkhubaan Site.

Kristopher said certain building contractors who are trying to avoid landfill sites fees, are part of the problem.

“Years of compounded debris turn the soil into toxic gases which eventually return to the surface and are released into the air. We demand stronger law enforcement and oversight on illegal dumping. Communities need to be educated on the consequences of illegal dumping and the compounded waste which is not disposed of correctly,” she said.

She added that there was a lack of enforcement, education and control over illegal dumpers.

“Illegal dumping will be closely monitored, and records of those prosecuted previously were also requested as it is believed that the same people are repeatedly dumping,” she added.

EThekwini Municipality spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said that the City is aware of the illegal landfill in the Chesterville/Ridgeview area.

In a previous statement on the issue of illegal dumping, she said that site inspections have been conducted by the Waste Management Directorate and the Air Quality Directorate, and that the matter has been escalated to other relevant City directorates for intervention.

“The City emphasises that illegal dumping is both a behavioural and systemic challenge that requires a collaborative approach.

“Addressing the issue calls for joint action by the municipality, communities, businesses, and other stakeholders. Landowners, whether private or municipal, are urged to take responsibility for the maintenance and protection of their properties,” she said.

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za

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