eDumbe’s own ‘Death Valley’

THE civil rights organisation AfriForum has requested the intervention of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health at the Paulpietersburg landfill site after the local AfriForum branch performed an audit on the site recently.

“It is with surprise and disappointment that AfriForum learned that the eDumbe Local Municipality allows cattle carcasses to be dumped at the landfill site. These carcasses are dumped in heaps, left for weeks and from time to time the municipal official set them alight. It is the local municipality’s responsibility to place the carcasses in a trench and bury them immediately,” said Chris Fourie, AfriForum’s Provincial Coordinator for KwaZulu-Natal.

These cattle carcasses on the landfill site are a serious health risk and can cause, amongst others, anthrax, botulism, tuberculosis and rabies, and lead to the death of a person or animal.

“What is also of great concern, is the fact that there are a lot of carcasses – where did they come from? Was there a disease outbreak? Was the state vet notified and was an investigation done?” asked Fourie.

AfriForum has requested the District Manager of Zululand, Mrs D.T. Memela, to intervene in this matter and take the necessary action to rectify the situation and will closely monitor the process to ensure that the carcasses are removed or buried.

At the time of going to press, we had not yet received a response from eDumbe Municipality regarding the matter.

Fourie recently conducted an audit on Vryheid’s controversial dumpsite as well. Details will be published as soon as they are made available.

If you want to join an organisation that protects the rights of its members, SMS “Paulpietersburg” to 45267 (R1/SMS).