Residents of Nkomazi in danger of pulmonary diseases because of air pollution
Smoke of burning rubbish health risk for Onderbergers
Nkomazi local municipality has failed to account for R30 million budgeted to deal with solid waste and this has exposed residents to air pollution which may lead to pulmonary diseases.
The municipality budgeted R30 million in the 2018/2019 financial year to deal with solid waste in its dumping sites, but they’re unable to account for those funds.
They are currently faced with enormous amount of environmental pollution. Smoke and ash which comes from burning rubbish enters the homes of residents exposing them to various illnesses like asthma, nasal allergy, bronchitis, and any other pulmonary diseases.
On the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) request – the municipality has failed to produce documentation on how they spent the R30 million budgeted to deal with waste management. But the money is gone and the atmosphere in and around Nkomazi has become so toxic.
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In its inability to manage the waste and dumping site, the municipality has resulted into burning tyres and other waste material on dumping sites.
The DA representative, Cllr Mariette Preddy, has done oversight visits with the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affair and officials from the municipality on numerous occasions but the matter has not yet been attended to.
We then approached the Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) which has given them until 1 November 2019 to handle the matter.
As required by the National Environmental Management air quality act 39 of 2004 (NEMA); it is the duty of the municipality (government) to protect residents to high levels of air pollution that might expose them to health hazards.
Should the municipality fail to address the matter by 1 November as per the SAHRC’s directive; the DA will have no choice but to open a criminal case against Municipal Manager Dan Ngwenya and his administration.
According to Section 28 of NEMA, failure to prevent and remedy the effects of environmental pollution, in the course of providing an adequate non-toxic environment to residents, goes with a R10 million fine or 10-years imprisonment.
