Municipality cleans up illegal dumping site

Now that the illegal dumping site has been cleared, things seem to be hopeful for the local vendor.
Just three months ago, Ivonne Guanbe said she struggled to make ends meet and the illegal dumping site situated directly next to her business was making things worse.

Ivonne, who had been selling food on Devil’s Corner in Lekhele Street, Ikageng, since January 2021, des- cribed her experiences as unbea- rable. Since she specialises in selling freshly-made chicken feet, Ivonne said people were often put off by the smell of the dumping site, which caused her to lose business.
“I get a lot of people who are willing to support me, but, due to the unbearable smell, they think twice and would rather buy in a ‘cleaner’ area,” she explained three months ago.
On Sunday, 6 March, Ivonne said she was surprised to see municipal workers clearing the site. “I was taken aback but happy,” she said.

Although it has only been a few days, Ivonne says she is starting to see a slight change. “Now that the unbearable smell is no longer here, people are more motivated to buy,” she said.
But not everything is sunshine and rainbows for the aspiring businesswoman. “Now that they have cleared this massive dumping site, people still insist on throwing their waste here,” she said.
“I choose to sell here because it’s a busy area, which makes it easier to get customers. Many of us in Ikageng sell the same thing. This is how I support my family, ” she explained.
To keep her area clean, Ivonne continues to ask locals to help her clean; she gives them R10 for their efforts.
“Although there are still some challenges, I’m grateful that the bigger mess has been cleaned up,” she said.
Ivonne urges members of the community to support her in keeping her work area clean as it is what puts food on her family’s table.
The Herald asked the municipality for comment but had received nothing by the time of going to print.