Despite strong warnings from the City of Mbombela (CoM), people continue to dump rubbish on the R538.

The CoM erected a noticeboard on the road, warning people to stop dumping as this is a tourist route to the Kruger National Park.

Some residents, who are still dumping their refuse in the area, said, “We have consulted with our ward councillors that we need a dumping site nearby or bigger rubbish bins, but nothing has happened. We will continue to use the area as our dumping site until something is done. We have seen the notice, but we decided to remove and ignore it. We are aware the road is part of the tourism route and it gives us a bad image, but we are left with no choice.”

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Others demand that illegal dumping stop because it harms the environment. They also said that if it continues, tourists and tour guides will join those who have already stopped using the road, due to crime and its filthy condition.

Gabisile Ndlovu tried on several occasions to clean the area and to stop people from dumping, but said it is impossible. However, littering on inner roads has stopped.
“The municipal by-law enforcement officers need to deal with the illegal dumping next to the plantations. I am running a business in the area where crime and Covid-19 nearly collapsed it. Now we are facing illegal dumping, and need the municipality, law enforcement and community to fight this together,” she urged.

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The CoM’s spokesperson, Joseph Ngala, said the municipality played its part and placed skips at strategic points in the villages, but cannot do so at every corner. “We do have our by-law enforcement dealing with illegal dumping, but those who dump usually do it when no one is around. We condemn this and trespassers will be fined. We need the community to report those people to us by taking photos of them or their vehicle registrations when dumping.”

He said they do clean up the garbage and put up warning signs, but they are ignored.