Letter: New strategy needed

James Turner of Blythedale Beach writes:

Dear readers and especially the group of people volunteering to help clean up the dumping site at the end of Lindley Street:

I did a bit of scouting around and work on the site a couple of weeks ago.

We have a problem. The people, or “dumpsters” using this area are very clever.

The spot is very well hidden from the city side and the Lindley Street side.

However, if one looks to the right when exiting the R74 to go to the beautiful KwaDukuza Mall, one gets a magnificent panoramic view of this incredible technicolor dump site.

While cleaning up bags and bags of rubbish, one can find a gold mine of plastic bottles, takeout fast-food containers and coffee cups.

The problem is that as soon as you clean up, it is replaced by fresh rubbish within a week, even though there is a land fill just a minute up the road on the R102 and “No Dumping” signs have been posted in English and isi-Zulu.

So, this calls for a different strategy on the part of the municipality, and our clean up group.

1. I would gladly fund a fence as a barrier against bakkies just backing up and offloading down the donga, or the people on foot that do the same thing, however I don’t have that kind of money unless our group all chips in, or If KDM can suggest a plan.

2. Cash reward for photos taken of perpetrators that show licence numbers of vehicles or videos of where the people are coming from. Facial views are not much help due to everyone looking like bank robbers these days.

When I showed my little girl the mess, she became nauseated and threw up all over the inside of the car.

Media spokesman Sipho Mkhize of KwaDukuza replies:

We note Mr Turner’s concerns with great appreciation as it shows us that we are not on our own in this fight against illegal dumping.

We need to point out that the municipality has a serious illegal dumping challenge in many wards.

It’s good to note that Mr Turner does acknowledge efforts done by the Municipality.

Indeed, this area receives regular clearances as and when we notice that there is dumping.

This area is isolated with no residents near it, which makes it difficult to identify perpetrators.

As part of interventions on the Municipality’s part, the ‘No Dumping’ sign has recently been erected.

The manager for waste management will also set up a meeting with the writer with the primary objective of discussing matters of mutual interest, keeping the area free of litter and illegal dumping, possible partnership with shop owners and landowners in the vicinity.

We will not be able to fence the area in question since we are not sure of the land ownership and also the municipality does not have any budget for this.

We have also looked into the feasibility of cash rewards and unfortunately, this does not seem feasible for now.

At the present moment, the fines for illegal dumping do not align with contravention as per current bylaws.

However, the municipality will soon be looking at improving these so ‘fine can suit the contravention’.

We will always make every effort to ensure that ultimately, we have this area kept under control.