Residents and business owners are gatvol with the City of Mbombela’s (CoM) inability to enforce by-laws.

Illegal dumping is ongoing and cars are still being repaired on the sides of residential and industrial streets.

According to residents, these issues have been raised with the municipality on various occasions but no action has been taken. Despite the CoM’s claim that illegal dumping has stopped, it is still a major problem in Mbombela, White River and on the R538.

According to a White River ward councillor, Rowan Torr, vehicles are still being repaired on roadsides, especially on Peter Graham and Theo Kleynhans streets. “The streets are a mess because of spilled oil and littering. It is illegal and the municipality knows it but does nothing,” Torr said.

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Car repairs on Stinkhout Crescent in Mbombela have left the area congested and covered with oil. Delivery vehicles, customers and staff of businesses in the area struggle to access their premises as gates are blocked by these cars.

Despite the Service Delivery Drive, during which some of these cars on Anderson Street were impounded, most street mechanics have returned and the situation continues.

Illegal dumping is still a major problem around Mbombela Stadium, the government village, the KaNyamazane Road, Andrew Street and various other areas. Some residents have taken it upon themselves to clear garbage that is dumped near their homes.

The CoM’s municipal manager, Wiseman Khumalo, dismissed allegations that municipal by-laws are not effective.

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“Illegal dumping occurs despite designated dumping areas being provided by the municipality. In the areas where we collect waste, such as Mbombela and White River, people illegally dump their garbage on the street. We have placed skips in rural areas which are cleaned on a weekly basis. These are not used, yet people blame the municipality. We do clean up and place signs that say ‘No dumping’,” he stressed.

Concerning the vehicles being repaired on the streets, he said: “People should stop taking their cars to the street mechanics and rather take them to registered workshops. We attend to the streets where people are fixing cars, but we need members of the public to work with us and this will stop.”

He said people must report all these matters to the municipality and they will be attended to.

Many residents claim to have reported the matters to the CoM, including sending photos of vehicle registration numbers of persons breaking the by-laws, but no action has resulted.