RUBBISH is piling up at Highveld Transfer Station resulting in an infestation of rodents and air pollution due to alleged chaos in Ekurhuleni Department of Solid Waste.
According to ward councillor and DA oversight committee member André du Plessis, the waste department is in shambles.
Du Plessis was speaking at the station on Highveld Road where there seems to be an overflow of waste and non-functional machinery.
Joining him were ward councillors Tracey Butler and Jaco Terblanche.
Du Plessis pointed out that because of the backlog in refuse removal in Kempton Park, residents were opting to drop off their waste at the station, causing an excess.
“We are facing a serious crisis of non-service delivery in the department.
“Every week bags are put out and not collected. We then get an email from the department informing us they would attend to the backlog. The solid waste department seems to be collapsing,” said Du Plessis.
Ideally, Du Plessis said business people and residents were supposed to drive into the transfer station and have their rubble put into a front compactor where it would be compressed and then taken to a landfill site.
This is not the reality, he said, as rubbish was being thrown into a skip almost 2m high, which is a hassle for residents, causing an overflow and mess around the bin.
“The rubbish is not separated or compressed because the front compactor is not working, which means the skip gets filled in no time and overflows,” explained Du Plessis.
Danie Putter, a businessman from Bonaero Park, has been highly affected by the discrepancies at the station. He said he would sometimes arrive to find the gate locked, leaving him unable to offload.
“They sometimes send us away and tell us machinery is not working or the place is full. We then have to go to other stations,” he explained.
Putter runs a garden service and rubble removal company.
The businessman explained how they would have to take the rubbish and throw it into the skip bin themselves because the machinery was not working.
“One of the workers told me the compact machine has been broken since December. Apparently it costs only R2 000 to fix the machine,” said Putter.
When EXPRESS arrived at the station, one machine was in working order. However Du Plessis claimed it was only fixed once the department became aware of the visit.
The only other machine is still out of order.
Other reasons given by the department for the backlog include a shortage of vehicles. Butler pointed out that trucks had been procured about three years ago.
“The trucks have been sitting in Alberton since they were delivered,” she explained.
Du Plessis said money had been budgeted for the 15 new trucks.
“This problem needs to be resolved. Residents are paying their refuse removal rates and yet the department claims there are not enough trucks while they sit in Alberton.”
Another issue raised by Du Plessis was illegal dumping aggravated by the refuse removal irregularities.
“The head of department is not in touch with what’s happening on the ground. These problems exacerbate illegal dumping which is becoming a major problem in Ekurhuleni,” he pointed out.
Willie Bezuidenhout operates a sandblasting and spray painting business in Sebenza.
“We have a lot of rubbish and every time we come here, we have to wait for people to offload their rubble into the skip, throwing it from their bakkies, trucks and trailers,” said Bezuidenhout.
So what is the solution to this problem?
Du Plessis said better communication and an increase in vehicles would be the answer.
“Vehicles need to be made operational, vehicles need to be bought every year. Fleet maintenance takes too long. It takes long to service vehicles. People can’t have bags on sidewalks indefinitely. We also need better communication from the department and commitment to a day when rubble would be collected.”
Butler pointed out the department should implement recycling and separation of waste which would play a major role in job creation.
Terblanche said the whole situation was just poor service delivery which was now increasing illegal dumping and rodents.
“People now dump outside the station’s gate. It is becoming a breeding spot for rodents, they are increasing in numbers and the council is helping them,” said Terblanche.
The solution according to Terblanche: “Both compressors should be working, people here should know their roles, vehicles should be roadworthy and have enough diesel. Vehicle breakdowns are not acceptable, vehicles should be operating 24 hours to remove refuse.”
