A spot in the east of Pretoria is one of the many problematic dumping sites in the city.
The site on the corner Solomon Mahlangu Drive and Lynnwood Road in Equestria was growing bigger by the day filling up with rubbish and building rubble, residents said.
Ward councillor Jacqui Uys said the area was a “headache corner” as they were struggling with people dumping on it.
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“That corner is a very big problem,” she said.
She said rubble removal trucks emptying their trucks on the site were were the usual culprits.
“Rubble removal trucks are the ones that usually drop off their waste here leaving it is piling up.”
Fear among residents was that the area would fast become an informal dumpsite.
Resident Malie van Staden said she often saw recyclers at the site waiting for waste material.
“I saw how things look in Waterkloof where the guys have houses in the recycling hub, it is bad.
“I hope this doesn’t get to that. The sooner they deal with it the better.”
Another resident said she often took pictures of vehicles dumping on the corner but it didn’t seem that anything was being done.
“I take pictures of the vehicles with the registration numbers and I report them, but they keep coming back,” said Marie-Anne Louw.
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“Which makes me believe that nothing is being done.”
She said when she sometimes approached the drivers, they gave her “attitude” and told her to “bugger off”.
“This is really unacceptable,” she said.
“Who do they think will clean up their mess.”
Another problematic site was on on the corner of Solomon Mahlangu Drive and Garsfontein Road.
In Waterkloof an informal recycling hub has been operating on a veld in Solomon Mahlangu where about 50 people collect recyclable materials.
Structures made out of cloth, corrugated iron and bricks have also been built in the veld.
“The recycling and sorting by the collectors is appearing all over in our neighbourhoods,” another resident, Corne Botha said.
Uys said the recyclers in the Equestria area were not a problem, as they often came on specific days to collect then leave.
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“There is no indication that the recycler are using the place as a recycling hub,” she said.
“They usually just come on rubbish days, collect what they want and leave.”
She said she visited the site often and was working with the Tshwane metro police to monitor the area and to come up with ways of curbing the surge.
She said a few vehicles have already been impounded.
“We are dealing with it.”
She said the city council was in the process of identifying formal dumping areas and getting bigger vehicles to tow impounded trucks caught dumping illegally.
Uys advised residents to take pictures of vehicles seen dumping.
“For a case to be won in court we will need proof in the form of a photograph or a video where the vehicle is seen dumping,” she said.
“The registration of the vehicle must also be visible.”
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