Gone are the days where Newcastle was concerned one of the country’s cleanest towns.
This, the opinion of concerned community members who claim to have noticed a shocking increase in the amount of litter on Paterson Street.
A resident, who opted to remain anonymous, said she travelled down ‘Shame Street’ every morning while her way to work.
“I recently noticed litter piling up on the corner of Bird and Paterson streets. It was alarming because it seemed like the municipality had finally resolved all the problems,” she explained.
A few days later, she claimed the area still hadn’t been cleaned, and decided to report the matter to the media.
“It’s filthy; it’s become an eyesore all over again,” she said. “The municipality needs to do something about the mess.”
Over the Easter weekend, a reader submitted a video to the Newcastle Advertiser, painting a bleak picture regarding the overall state of Paterson Street.
Opposite a local petrol station, bottles, plastic wrappers and brown paper bags were strewn over a 100-metre stretch.
The reader also claimed taxi drivers and their passengers were to blame for besmirching the area.
“Taxis park there at night. The occupants just leave their empty bottles and packets behind; it’s disgusting!”
The issues were subsequently reported to Newcastle Municipality in the form of a media enquiry.
According to Superintendent of Waste, Thava Kelly, the matter would be investigated.
Despite it being illegal, the Community Services’ Waste Management Department claimed people were responsible for polluting the streets of Newcastle.
Mrs Kelly added that residents needed to behave more responsibly.
“The Waste Department are limited with resources, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with the growing town with the capacity that we had 10 years ago,” she concluded.
While local authorities work around the clock to keep Newcastle clean, the community is advised to respect and abide by the rule of law.
Are litterbugs leaving their mark in your area? Be sure to email us at ncschools@caxton.co.za, and be a part of the solution.
