Smoke from illegal dumpsite in The Reeds affects residents

Residents living near a massive illegal dumpsite near Panorama Road in The Reeds say they are at their wits end as frequent fires at the site continue to blanket their neighbourhoods in toxic smoke.

Many claim that the burning has become constant in recent weeks and is worsening their health problems.

Burnie Nawn, a resident of Thatchfield, said the fires have plagued the community for years but escalated recently.

“The fires started occurring at the dumpsite about six years ago, with recent ones beginning about two weeks ago. Complaints have increased since then,” said Nawn.

“My family and I have been suffering with breathing, and we have to bring the dog in the house early so she is also not suffering.”

He added that even household routines have been disrupted by the ongoing smoke.

“Our laundry sometimes smells foul because it has to dry in the stench created by the burning of all sorts of substances at the illegal dump site.

“We also have to close all our doors and windows to avoid smoke inhalation, and with summer coming, that leaves us with very hot and uncomfortable evenings,” he said.

Nawn, who works as an environmental assessment practitioner, said it was disturbing to see all the environmental laws being broken and not enforced by any of the entities tasked with enforcing them.

Panorama Road resident Johan Grobler said while the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) does occasionally patrol and issue fines to people who dump there, the efforts are not consistent enough to stop the problem.

“The issue of illegal dumping has been ongoing for years. The TMPD does come every once in a while to patrol and issue fines to the people that dump illegally, but they are not present enough because as soon as they leave, people continue dumping.”

He said the recent fires from the dumpsite usually flare up in the late afternoons.

“Emergency services did respond initially, but this makes it hard for them because they also cannot access the dumpsite effectively. They would have to separate all the heaps of waste and access it from the inside, which is something they did previously last year when a similar incident occurred,” he said.

According to Grobler, the dumpsite has grown significantly since it first started years ago.

“Residents are suffering from health issues related to the smoke, with several people unable to work.”

He added that to resolve the issue, the TMPD needs to patrol frequently on-site to prevent dumping.

For nearby resident Deb Zanburg, the problem has become deeply personal.

She said the toxic smoke is directly harming her family.

“The toxic smoke coming from the fires is affecting us badly. I live with my nine-year-old granddaughter, who is often absent from school due to health issues caused by the frequent smoke in the air, and she has a nasal drip.”

She explained that the school had to involve a social worker because of her granddaughter’s frequent absences.

“My granddaughter has been constantly absent because she is often sick, and this affects her health and education.

“I also have health issues, which make it hard for me to cope. This situation is not just a school issue; it’s a health risk for both of us,” added Zanburg.

Ward 64 councillor Alta de Kock confirmed that residents living closest to the dumpsite are particularly affected.

“Residents who live close to the dumping site are fed up with the smoke that comes from the fires, and some of them have even been suffering from nose bleeds often recently,” she said.

The community’s frustrations are not new. In November last year, residents had called on the metro to act decisively against the illegal dumping, saying the situation was spiralling out of control.

At the time, community member Charles Kuppusamy told Rekord that the burning waste was creating unbearable air pollution.

“The air quality here is unbearable. Every night, the smoke from burning waste fills our homes, and it’s getting harder to breathe,” he said.

He said the problem was especially dangerous for children and the elderly, with more residents developing respiratory issues.

He also raised fears about the long-term effects of inhaling toxic fumes.

Grobler, who also spoke out at the time, said the issue of illegal dumping had been reported as far back as 2016, and that residents had signed petitions and even met with ward councillors in attempts to get help.

At the time, Tshwane metro spokesperson, Lindela Mashigo, said that the metro was aware of the illegal dumping and had already conducted a multi-departmental site inspection.

He said the city had identified critical steps, including increased TMPD visibility and seeking assistance from the Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment (GDARDE), which is responsible for the authorisation of waste disposal facilities.

“The city will prevent ongoing degradation through establishing and activating interdepartmental teams,” said Mashigo.

He added that officials had also tried to contact the landowner to enforce corrective action.

Rekord reached out to the MMC for Corporate and Shared Services, Kholofelo Morodi, who is responsible for service delivery issues in Region 4.
However, no comment was received by the time of publication.

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East

For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.