Letter: Report dumping

KDM media spokesman Sipho Mkhize writes:

The views James Turner (‘Litter in Stanger is bad”, Courier, January 22) has expressed are frank and honest about the challenges of litter in Stanger’s entrance.

We appreciate that a responsible member of the public has rebuked this ferocious act of littering and illegal dumping. 

It is one thing to blame the municipality and level criticism about illegal dumping or littering.

The honest truth is that the municipality cannot prevent disobedient behaviour of those who choose to dump illegally. 

The municipality can only try to implement education campaigns and raise awareness about the impact of illegal dumping, secondly, we can arrange for the clearing of illegal dumps and or erect no dumping signs.

In our considered view that is just pure management of the problem or treatment of symptoms instead of dealing with the root cause for the filthy neighbourhoods.

The root cause is irresponsible community members or culprits that are responsible for this ferocious behaviour. 

Communities have a critical role to play in putting an end to illegal dumping.

Dumping is often done by local residents/business outlets in broad day light in sight of local communities. 

Communities can assist by identifying those responsible for illegal dumping in their neighbourhoods and when dumpers are caught in the act, local leadership needs to reprimand and report the culprits. 

One of the easiest things to do is to take a picture of the perpetrators as well as the registration of the vehicle used to commit illegal dumping, thirdly private land owners have a responsibility to forbid any illegal dumping that occur on their respective properties.

It should be placed on record that the R74 is a provincial road as such a responsibility of KZN Provincial Department of Transport which makes them the responsible authority for the upkeep of the area in question in terms grass cutting and litter picking. 

As much we would like to take over this responsibility it will come at a cost in the prevailing economic climate as KDM wants to reduce operational costs.

Notwithstanding the above it remains our constitutional obligation to constantly engage with different spheres of government on matters that affect local communities. 

KDM further pleads with media houses to report responsibly about the root cause of illegal dumping and litter challenges and where possible expose, name and shame the perpetrators, as there has been evidence that some formal businesses have been involved in illegal dumping. 

In the instances where illegal dumping is reported to the municipality, we will definitely act on it, we will track down the person responsible, instruct them to remove the dirt and clean up the area and further issue fines.