According to councillor Shenan Cochrane, a borrow pit property on Beyers Naudé Drive along a provincial road near the N14 intersection in Muldersdrift remains unrehabilitated within a high-traffic tourist corridor.

Cochrane shared her concerns following the closure of an illegal dump site next to the Video informal settlement in March, after a petition by these residents was handed over to the provincial department which owns the land.

The dump site, or Plot 230 Rietfontein 189IQ, sits directly alongside the N14 highway, where statutory restrictions govern waste sites near national roads. Regular burning at the former dump site created severe smoke hazards for motorists travelling on the highway.

Cochrane noted that Muldersdrift serves as the entry corridor to the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, a protected paleontological zone, warning that waste facilities along tourist routes damage the area’s international standing.

• Also read: Is Mogale winning the illegal dumping battle?

She added that illegal dumping remains a persistent issue throughout the area.

One Muldersdrift resident, Precious Ntsinaka Ngobeni, described illegal dumping as a major problem.

“We have people, or should I say unknown companies, dumping illegally on every corner they can get,” she said.

“Muldersdrift used to be very beautiful; it was one of the best places to be, but at the moment what you can see is dirt on every corner,” Ngobeni added.

“We now have unpleasant smells from those dump sites, and our environment is no longer safe.”

Ngobeni said illegal dumping poses severe risks to environmental safety and public health, expressing concern over dirty water affecting children and toxic smoke from burning waste.

She wants the municipality to intervene, close all illegal dump sites, and monitor them to prevent recurring dumping.

• Also read: Municipality calling all residents to help curb illegal dumping

“I just wish that at the end of the day, we will be considered and taken care of. This situation is not so good,” she said.

Mogale City Local Municipality’s assistant manager for media and PR, Refilwe Mahlangu, confirmed that illegal dumping remains a challenge in Mogale City.

“Illegal dumping has a significant impact on communities,” Mahlangu added. “We have implemented several measures to address illegal dumping, including routine litter picking, area cleaning programmes, waste collection services, the provision of bulk waste containers in selected areas, public education and awareness campaigns, the cleaning of identified hotspots, regular inspections and monitoring, as well as the enforcement of municipal by-laws.”

Mahlangu warned that illegal dumping is prohibited under municipal by-laws, with offenders facing fines in accordance with applicable municipal tariffs and enforcement provisions. Details of the relevant tariffs and penalties are available on the municipal website. She stated residents can report incidents of illegal dumping through their ward councillors, who will escalate the matter to the relevant municipal department.

Regarding landfill capacity, Mahlangu concluded that the relationship between landfill capacity and illegal dumping depends on a range of factors. While reduced disposal capacity may contribute to challenges in waste management, illegal dumping is influenced by various considerations, including public behaviour.