Landowner down in the dumps
MIDRAND - A man who owns vacant land on the R55 in Midrand says it is being used as a dumping ground.
Neill Pleaner said, “I don’t know who keeps dumping rubble on my land but it is frustrating. I removed the rubble once before but more rubble has been dumped.”
Pleaner said he planned to pour sand over the rubble and plant a patch of grass in the hope that the rubble will no longer stand out. “That is the best I can do. Last time I hired a company to come and remove the rubble and it cost me a lot of money.” Pleaner added he had seen someone dumping on his land but was unable to catch the person.
Ward 93 councillor Annette Deppe said that, by law, Pleaner should put a boundary around his land. “As long as the land is not fenced, people will take chances and dump rubble and rubbish on it,” she said.
The councillor added that over the past few months she had been trying to get Pleaner to clean up
“[He] has not taken the time to clear the rubble as asked. If he does not secure his land the council may have to escalate the issue. Every landowner has certain responsibilities pertaining to their land.”
Spokesperson for Pikitup, Desiree Ntshingila, said, “As far as we are aware, private landowners are responsible for ensuring that they remove rubble from their properties and put measures in place to ensure that culprits do not continue to dump on the property.”
Residents who want to report anyone dumping on private property or any area can call Johannesburg Emergency Services on 011 375 5911. The complaint will be forwarded to Johannesburg Metro police who will investigate the issue.
