Clr Amanda Davison disappointed by failed clean-up in Glen Marais
The situation was exasperated during the 2023 waste collection backlog crisis when residents dumped their own refuse at the site.
Frustrations have reached boiling point after a promised clean-up was never completed in Glen Marais.
Ward 15 Clr Amanda Davison said she is disappointed that the City of Ekurhuleni failed to complete the clean-up.
She called the situation a looming environmental disaster.
In the October 12 edition of the Kempton Express last year, it was reported that in 2022 an unknown construction company had dumped building rubble next to the J&J Maritz Quarry off Old Pretoria Road.
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The situation was exasperated during the 2023 waste collection when residents dumped their own refuse at the site.
At the time, Davison said that it created a dangerous living environment for the homeless who had moved in.
When the Kempton Express visited the area, cleaning-up processes had already begun.
The MMC for Environment and Waste Department, Eunice Matloga, confirmed in the September council sitting that the area would be cleared of illegal dumping and a concrete barrier placed to prevent further illegal dumping.
Davison, however, said the promised clean-up was never completed.
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“The project went well until December 2023 when it stopped and illegal dumping subsequently continued.
“Sadly there are now homeless people living in this area again. I am frustrated by the lack of resources in the city and the EWM department, which has exasperated the issue.
“EMPD also doesn’t have enough resources to man the dumping hotspots including the J&J Maritz Quarry.
“There are still households that do not have wheelie bins. Solid Waste Department must do service point audits to ensure every property has bins or skips.
“This will also assist in revenue collections for the city,” said Davison.
Davison added that pollution from the illegal caused chemical seepage into natural waterways, wetlands and the stream running through the Erasmus Farm, Serengeti to Rietvlei Dam which serves the water supply to Tshwane.
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“These chemicals negatively affected the water use license of the J&J Maritz Quarry.”
Last week Davison confirmed that a clean-up of the area commenced on March 1.
“There are no permanent solutions to illegal dumping. Educating citizens on the importance of looking after the environment will assist. I will continue to monitor various hotspots with the assistance of residents,” she added.
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