Dead dog and human waste in suburban illegal dump
Residents up in arms about illegal dump next to houses.
WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES
A dead dog, human waste and building rubble form part of yet another illegal dump in Pretoria, this time in Silverton.
The open piece of land is believed to house red data plants. These are plants listed as threatened species. But this has yet to be confirmed.
The piece of land, listed as portion 3 stand 1820 and erf 1821, is privately owned and has long been a point of debate.
An application had been made by EkoInfo environmental and wildlife management consultancy on behalf of the owner of the property to develop the land into a residential apartment building on 30 May 2014.
In the draft application to the Gauteng department of agriculture and rural development, it was noted: “The site is mainly covered with a mix of indigenous and exotic vegetation. Illegal dumping and signs of vagrancy can be found on the site. The site is being used by criminals as a hiding place and sorting of stolen goods, as can be seen from waste on the site.”
In the report EkoInfo noted that 75% of the property is covered with indigenous vegetation.
Irate residents, upset with the state of the land and the plans to build on the property, see the degradation of the property as a way to promote the owner’s plans to build a residential complex.
Large parts of the fence around the property has been stolen and has not been replaced.
Anonymous residents, part of the Silverton Ridge coalition against the development, say not only is the illegal dump an eyesore, but also a health hazard.
“The degradation of the property is just part of the efforts to justify the apartments. If the owner was concerned with the state of the property, he would have cleared the illegal dump, cleared out the invasive species and fenced off the property, but he hasn’t. It should be his responsibility to clean it up,” said the residents.
“The smell of the decaying dog was unbearable. The waste is a serious health hazard.”
The dog has since been removed, but the waste has not.
Residents from the 29 households in the area have also raised their objections to the building of the apartment complex.
The concerns included an increase in traffic, noise, crime, overcrowding, the inability of the old infrastructure to accommodate the new influx, and the building’s proximity to the Pretoria botanical gardens.
Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo confirmed on Wednesday to Rekord that all privately-owned properties are required to be fenced or have a boundary wall, even if they haven’t been developed or built on.
Mashigo said should people dump on a private property, it would be the owner’s responsibility to clean it up. If they do not the city will clean up and bill the owner for the work.
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