Alberton ‘oil dumpers’ cause outrage

The Facebook page of Police Clips and Pics uploaded a video of a group of men allegedly dumping used motor oil into a storm drain in Alberton on Monday, 27 February.

While the oil is being dumped, you can hear people yelling at them to stop, with another person saying that he could not allow this to happen. The men were thus prevented from continuing, and their barrel of oil was not entirely emptied.

It is a well-known fact that even one litre of used engine oil can contaminate thousands of litres of drinking water, and is a very serious environmental hazard. For this reason, the oil needs to be disposed of very carefully by professionals. Used motor oil can also be sold, so for them to be dumping it down a drain struck many people as inconceivable.

The post on the Facebook page reads: “This was recorded in Alberton on the 27/02/2017 This is why our ecosystem is being destroyed!!!! 😡 I am beyond anger! I hope that these people are prosecuted to the highest degree! Jhb authorities should take note and prosecute these idiots and hold them financially responsible for the cleanup costs!!”

Towards the end of the video, the number plate of the vehicle was also recorded. It’s unclear if a police case has yet been opened.

Facebook users, however, contacted Mayor Herman Mashaba directly on Facebook to ask his team to intervene.

However, Justice Project SA’s Howard Dembovsky explained that Alberton falls under the ANC-controlled Ekurhuleni metro, which is outside of Mashaba’s jurisdiction. “Nonetheless, I hope that this will be properly investigated and if it is proven that the liquid was used motor oil, the offenders properly prosecuted.”

Avidesh Raghubar wrote: “The disturbing thing is that this is a blatant act with the offenders having no fear of been identified!…Authorities must act immediately and prosecute with a harsh penalty.”

There were also calls for the culprits to be jailed and for the Green Scorpions to get involved.

Watch the video below: