THE areas of Ashley, Caversham Glen, and Mariannhill Park, among others in Pinetown, are experiencing recurring illegal dumping, despite clean-up efforts by the municipality.

According to Ward 16 DA PR councillor Nomfundo Khubone, the eThekwini Municipality’s Durban Solid Waste (DSW) – Department of Cleansing and Solid Waste – on Thursday, January 15, conducted a clean-up along James Herbert Road, Caversham Glen in Pinetown, where illegal dumping is a major concern.

The PR councillor said there is “a lot of illegal dumping” in the ward, which reoccurs within days or weeks after DSW has done a clean-up.

Khubone said she has spoken at length about this issue on social media community groups, urging residents to meet the municipality halfway.

The councillor said she has encouraged that those who dump illegally should be reported, and where possible, pictures of them caught in the act taken as evidence, so that the necessary steps can be taken.

“Nobody knows whether it is people in the area or people who come from outside. Some residents have claimed that businesses are behind the illegal dumping but evidence is needed so that guilty parties can be identified and follow-ups can be done, so that the law may be enforced,” said Khubone.

Last year, said Khubone, following an oversight visit, some DA councillors met with officials from DSW to address the issue.

“I have no complaints with the operations side from DSW; where I feel more needs to be done is on the side of education and raising awareness,” said Khubone.

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On Thursday morning, the Highway Mail was on site on Rudloff Road, Mariannhill Park in Pinetown, where waste was strewn along the roadside.

Khubone said she had been informed by a DSW official that Rudloff Road would be cleaned up by Friday, January 16.

Ward 16 councillor David Ngubane had not responded to a text message enquiring about the illegal dumping in the area.

The communications director at the eThekwini Municipality, Mandla Nsele, said James Herbert has been an illegal dumping hotspot for a prolonged period of time.

“Illegal dumping in this area has been a persistent challenge for several years. In the past, the municipality implemented a range of interventions, including education and awareness programmes, as well as enforcement initiatives. Despite these efforts, the problem has continued.

“The municipality would like to note that education and awareness programmes are ongoing at the site as part of continued efforts to address illegal dumping. In addition, towards the end of last year, a proposal was submitted through the ward councillor’s office to install a boom gate and provide 24-hour security visibility as a permanent solution. Planning around this intervention is currently underway.

“In the interim, the municipality continues to remove waste that is illegally dumped at the site on a daily basis using in-house plant machinery. This week, the area was allocated shared plant machinery servicing seven regions. As a result, approximately 50% of the accumulated illegal dumping at Rudloff Road was cleared on 15 January 2026. The remaining waste is scheduled to be removed tomorrow [Friday, January 16],” said Nsele.

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