Wychwood and Simmerfield residents met with Ward 36 Clr Wendy Morgan last week to voice concerns about crime and health issues.

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The residents met with Morgan on Hollins Road.

They blamed the Simmer and Jack landfill for health complications, as well as the number of criminal activities happening in the area.

Security company Spider Tactical Response and Primrose CPF chairperson Tracy Enslin joined the meeting.

Lee-Ann du Plooy, a Simmerfield resident, said she has been a resident of the area since 2000 and the bad smell from the landfill dates back to 2013.

“I complained about these issues in 2018 when the smell got worse, but no one has been attending to my complaints,” said du Plooy.

She said now that the smell has become worse she is concerned about the health of her husband, who is supposed to be home recovering.

“My husband has heart failure conditions, and he was recently injured at work. He is supposed to be resting and recovering, but he can’t because we have to guard our property at night too.

“We installed security lights in front of the gate.

“During the day, it becomes difficult for him to stay outside because of the smell. Rodent manifestation and flies are another concern,” said du Plooy.

Mike Robinson from Spider-Tactical Response said crime is high in the area and the landfill is used by criminals as a hiding place.

“During the day, they sit by the landfill and scout their next victims. At sunset, they start to move into positions.

“They have broken the palisade fencing along Main Reef Road on the side of the landfill site to gain access to the entrance points of Wychwood and Simmerfield areas.

“We tried closing the holes, but they open them again. When we respond to a house burglary call, they run towards the direction of the landfill because they know once they cross Main Reef Road. They will get easy access to the landfill and hide.”

Robinson said house burglary has become a common crime in the area by opportunistic criminals.

“They steal electric cables and even street paving. There have been several smash-and-grab reports between Hollins and Main Reef roads. Schoolchildren are victims of these smash-and-grabs. We went to schools to warn learners that they should be cautious using Main Reef Road coming from school,” Robinson said.

He added that most incidents occur in the morning and late afternoon when residents travel to or from work.

“Perpetrators pretend to be pedestrians and before you know it, two or three guys will grab you and all your possessions are gone.”

Robinson said the community had to form a CPF patroller forum to act as the eyes and ears for the police.

“Another issue is that there are a lot of zama-zama activities in the area. In the old days, the landfill would have security guys patrolling at night with their four-wheel scooters, but the security has deteriorated there.

“The zama-zamas cause a huge concern because there is an active shaft there.”

Robinson said an old age home in the area is often targeted.

Enslin said the CPF has received numerous complaints in recent weeks, including health issues suspected to have been caused by the landfill.

“The residents reported a variety of health issues. People suffer from nosebleeds, dry throats, coughing, skin rash and headaches. A huge concern here is that the residents are breathing in harmful stuff because of the landfill site,” said Enslin.

“Most of these residents can’t be faced with medical bills. If this problem is going to continue for a long time, who is going to pay for their medical bills?”

Responding to the concerns about crime, Enslin said the CPF will continue to work hand in hand with local authorities to combat crime in the area.

“Every resident must have their local security company’s number and CPF numbers on speed dial in case of an emergency,” said Enslin.

Morgan said the landfill was closed from July to October and during that period, some of the infrastructure was vandalised.

“The site is being overloaded. The bad smell was caused by seepage of leachate, a liquid substance that comes from the waste system,” said Morgan.

She explained leachates may contain ammonia, nitrate and arsenic and could also affect nearby fauna and flora, and the ecosystem.

City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said a contractor was appointed as a site operator for the operation and maintenance of Simmer and Jack Landfill Site from September 2021 until June 30, 2024.

“The contract was handed over on October 6 last year. The terms of reference also include access control and provision of security on site. The landfill site has received on average approximately 10 000 tons of waste per week over the past two months,” said Dlamini.

“Trucks dispose of the waste on the working face and the waste is then spread with a dozer. It is then compacted with a landfill compactor and the waste is covered with at least 150mm of soil.

“There are no formal recycling projects sanctioned at Simmer and Jack. The recycling on site is done informally by reclaimers,” said Dlamini.

Dlamini said safety is obligated to the site operators.

“Minor repair and maintenance of the fence on site is the responsibility of the site operator in terms of the contract agreement. The site operator was recently appointed and was in the process of replacing the broken and missing palisade fence around the site.

“Criminal activities on site are because of illegal mining activities. In recent years, the city and Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) managed to close most of the old mine shafts on site to prevent these activities. Illegal miners on site are reported to law enforcement agencies.

“The shootings witnessed by residents normally originate from nearby informal settlements and some of the people end up running to the landfill site seeking cover,” explained Dlamini.

“Such incidents are immediately reported to law enforcement agencies once they enter the landfill premises. Again, the site operator appointed is required to provide security as part of the contract agreement to safeguard infrastructure and personnel on site,” said Dlamini.

Responding to the health concerns, Dlamini said the landfill uses SuperF technology for odour control and the eradication of flies.

“There have been no leaking pipes. The site recently experienced seepage of leachate from the waste body and is currently being addressed.

“The smell was caused by wet waste due to recent heavy rains experienced on site, which resulted in flies. This matter is being resolved by the spraying of odour chemical control over the waste body. The department will be increasing its efforts on odour control on site. The health inspectors employed by the CoE are available to identify and evaluate the health issues or hazards pertaining to Simmer and Jack Landfill Site.

“The pest control section deals with all forms of vermin and rodent infestation in Ekurhuleni. The department works towards a clean and safe environment via a collection of household waste weekly and disposing of it at licensed disposal facilities, litter-picking and street-cleaning along main routes and CBD areas, clearing and rehabilitating illegal dumping spots and the provision of public offloading facilities like mini-disposal sites and transfer stations and provision of sanitary landfill sites for the disposal of waste.

“The department also provides educational awareness on the handling of waste and recycling initiatives,” said Dlamini.

GCN sent a request for comment to Germiston SAPS and Primrose SAPS and requested a response by February 9.
At the time going to print, no comment had been received.