Take photos of illegal dumpers, residents told

A local ward councillor in the east of Pretoria has asked residents to take photos of any vehicles illegally dumping rubbish in the area.

“Take your phone, take a picture and report the vehicles,” said local ward councillor Jacqui Uys. 

Illegal dumping sites have been becoming a headache for many residents in the east of Pretoria and councillors recently.

One such site, on the corner of Solomon Mahlangu Drive and Lynnwood Road in Equestria, was of particular concern.

“It is growing bigger by the day, filling up with rubbish and building rubble, but I will stop at nothing to see it removed,” she said.

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Residents often spotted trucks and vehicle dumping rubble at the corner in question.

Uys said the solution was simple: take a photo of these trucks.

“This would also help with proving a case in court,” she said.

When reporting any illegal dumping, residents should include info about the nature and location of the debris, photographic evidence and the licence plate number and description of the vehicles involved.

Uys caught one such truck red-handed. She decided to be less confrontational and just get out her mobile device and record a video.

In the video, the truck can be seen offloading debris and rubbish at the corner with waste pickers surrounding it.

“I will be making a case along with the Tshwane metro police to get them prosecuted and fined,” she said.

Ward 82 councillor Siobhan Muller said the problem has improved in Menlo Park’s Selati Street, Jason Road and Hazelwood as residents have taken up taking photos of transgressors with their cell phones.

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Muller said these areas faced a serious problem with illegal dumping and she had resorted to working with a private security company to fight it.

“We let it be known that we are going to take photographs and registration numbers. They will be fined and forced to clean up the mess,” she said.

“Social media also has a big role to play; if I sent out a message to three thousand people in the ward, it means there are three thousand eyes watching people who are dumping illegally.”

Muller said people have been caught before and were issued fines.

Besides the health factor, illegal dumping sites also pose a security risk to people living near them.

People usually dump at night, making it difficult for members of the public to catch them doing so.

She said it was a problem because criminals used such illegal dumping sites to hide.

“Previously cases have been reported to the police in which thieves who broke into a house would flee to these illegal dumping sites.”

Illegal dumping costs the Tshwane municipality almost R12-million in the past financial year.

Members of the public are advised to report illegal dumping to the metro police’s by-law enforcement centre on Mondays to Fridays between 07:30 and 16:00 on 012-358-0070 or email bylawenforcementcenter@tshwane.gov.za or bec@tshwane.gov.za.

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