Dumping site cleared after years of torment

Just over a year ago, residents living on Batloung Street next to the AME Church in Ikageng were greatly concerned about the heaps of waste that were popping up in the area.

Despite numerous calls to the municipality and the ward councillor, residents were ignored for months before someone heard their frustrations. “Not a week goes by without reading an article about people com-plaining about filth and how the municipality has failed to assist them,” Lerato Boikhanyo, a resident in the area, said.

“Although we were determined not to give up without a fight, we did not anticipate that the issue would be resolved within months and still maintained to this day.”

According to her, their area was among those that received attention during the municipal clean-up campaign. “We can finally breathe and live in peace,” she said. Previously, residents were confronted with the smell of waste, even in the comfort of their homes.

The dumping site used to be filled with all sorts of rubbish, from broken glass, dead rats and, sometimes, even human waste. Boikhanyo says life has been much better since the area has been cleaned.

“Besides our health, it is much safer for people to walk past and our children to play,” she said. She is especially grateful that the community has worked together to maintain the area. “The municipality has provided us with a skip that they empty when it is full,” she explained. “Although there are still many areas waiting for assistance, I hope to eventually see our entire community neat and tidy,” she concluded.