R10 600 fine for illegal dumping

The dumping of waste material is currently regulated by 13 different pieces of legislation in South Africa, among them the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996; the National Health Act 61 of 2003; the Environment Conservation Act 73 of 1989; the Municipal Structures Act 117 of 1998, and the Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000.

Under section 27 of the National Environmental Management: Waste Act 59 of 2008, “No person may (a) throw, drop, deposit, spill or in any other way discard any litter into or onto any public place, land, vacant erf, stream, watercourse, street or road, or on any place to which the general public has access, except in a container or a place specifically provided for that purpose”.

If you’re reading this and wondering who doesn’t know this is illegal, then you’re thinking the same thing as Attie Els and Pierre Pretorius who, along with other members of the community, have been trying for months to stop illegal dumping in a specific field.

The field, roughly estimated to cover 10 hectares, is located right in Mindalore, is accessible mainly from Chamdor Road, and is a popular dumping spot for the public and businesses alike.

You’ll need a 4X4 or flatbed truck to get closer to the centre of the site where most of the dumping takes place. But, those who can’t make it in that deep tend to dump their waste by one of the many entrances near the road. The field borders on many homes, and residents often complain of bad smells and trash blowing into their yards.

Read more here:

https://www.citizen.co.za/krugersdorp-news/385932/muldersdrift-struggles-with-uncurbed-illegal-dumping/

The News ventured through the open field with Attie and Pierre. Barely a minute in, two flatbed trucks were spotted in the field with another two approaching in the distance. The latter turned around and left the field without dumping their loads when News journalist Jaco Human openly started taking photos. The other two were approached, and their drivers asked why they were dumping in this field, if they understood that this was public/ municipal property, if they understood that this wasn’t a formal dumping zone and whether they knew what they were doing was illegal. They responded, in unison, that they were unaware of any of these points, saying that they believed it was a legal dumping site.

“We see that everyone else throws their stuff here, so we thought it was legal,” the driver of one of the trucks explained. One of the trucks belonged to a rubble removal business. Pierre dialed the number on the truck and spoke to the owner. When asked whether she knew where her workers were dumping the waste, she asked if it was this particular field, but didn’t confirm what the workers’ orders were.

“What people don’t know is that the first few hundred kilograms of waste can be dumped at no cost at a proper waste disposal centre. People think you have to pay for everything you want to dump there,” Pierre explained. In fact, residents are allowed to dispose of 500kg of waste every seven days. The same rule does not apply to businesses though.

The Head of Mogale City Local Municipality’s Corporate Communications department, Adrian Amod, stated that “when illegal dumpers are reported, or if we spot them, fines can be imposed. The Municipality has resources put in place to deal with illegal dumping, but the resources are limited. Presently, some of the illegal dumping hot spots are being looked at often. Once dealt with, the resources are moved to deal with another site”. He added that, in terms of Mogale City’s by-laws and adopted policies, a fine may amount to R10 600.

“We encourage citizens to assist the Municipality by reporting and also protecting the environment for future generations. Now that the illegal dumping taking place on this farm has been reported, we will do a site visit to assess the situation, and, guided by what we see, allocate resources to get it cleared and cleaned up.”

Illegal dumping can be reported to the municipal offices at Coronation Park at 011 951 2179.