Signs of an illegal dumping site and squatting have been noticed in Rangeview.
A concerned reader contacted the News about illegal dumping in the field becoming a regular occurrence over the last few months. Thusa Pale said he went to investigate and saw laptops, a mattress and washed jeans hanging from a tree branch, as well as bags containing plastic and glass.
“It looks like they are collecting and sorting plastic and glass there. But the mattress, clothes and shelter indicate people living there,” Pale said.
He said he fears the heap of plastic will grow even bigger like when he first noticed it at the end of last year.
The bags look like those the dustbin diggers use to collect plastic and glass to trade it for a fee at local recycling companies.
“I have notified Mogale City [Local Municipality] about it, but it has been almost two months since they said they would come ‘the following day’,” he said.
Richard Lees, Democratic Alliance ward councillor, said he is aware of people moving in and out of the field.
“But we can’t stop them from practising their right to freedom of movement,” he said.
However, Lees did confirm that if they find people living there, Mogale City’s Public Safety Department must remove them. If the plastic and glass are left there, it could mean they are dumping illegally, he said.
“We will follow up on the complaint and make sure none of this is happening,” Lees said.
There have been reports of illegal squatters in Rangeview before, but the local Community Policing Forum helped in removing them.
Lees added that the dustbin diggers are doing the town a lot of good as they recycle plastic and glass found in residents’ trash.
“But they might not realise they are doing more harm when they dump it somewhere else.”
The News also recently reported on another illegal dumping site in Krugersdorp West where a plastics collector was using the field to sort materials.
Read more on illegal dumping:
Illegal dumping sites ‘will be removed’
Illegal dumping under council’s noses
