Centurion residents complain about waste sorting station
Residents said they were concerned about the environment but also the health of those staying at the station.
Doringkloof residents this week complained about pollution, litter and crime surrounding the so-called informal “waste sorting station” in West Avenue in Centurion.
About 1 500 local residents recently signed a petition to have the occupants of the site relocated.
Resident Isabel Venter told Rekord the sorting station looked terrible and was the source of a lot of pollution in the area as well as the river.
Venter said it angered her as a taxpayer when officials said there was nothing they could do about the situation.
“We are paying premium rands in taxes and what about our rights as residents?
“Our concern is for the health of these people and they can’t keep staying in these circumstances.”
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Another resident, Bertha Keller, said the station was clearly growing in size compared to how it looked years ago.
“The crime in Doringkloof has increased just as quickly,” said Keller.
“The shanty town which is developing there is an eyesore and one can only imagine what goes on there.”
Keller said people coming from overseas to see the cricket at the nearby SuperSport Park stadium were witness to the station.
Eric Pule, who lives just 500 metres from the sorting station, said he feared for the value of his property.
“When I bought my property the recyclers weren’t here,” Pule said.
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“Then they put up a few shacks and before long it started growing. Now our children can’t even walk to the stadium.
“Our bins get rummaged through on collection day and what they don’t need, they just leave lying on the ground.”
Pule said a solution needed to be found and quickly.
Last week the Tshwane metro said ongoing court proceedings were barring it from stopping recycling operations at the site.
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“The metro is not yet in control of the [waste pickers’] operations at the West Avenue site, but remains concerned about the environmental impact the recycling activities have on the area,” said metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo.
“It is due to the illegal nature of the operations that the metro has started issuing notices to recyclers to stop their operations.
“Hence, it would be our wish to stop them had it not been for the current court proceedings.
“In the meantime, the metro is identifying suitable sites where waste sorting and storage may be permitted,” he concluded.
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