Municipality does not take responsibility of rubbish dump

SECUNDA – The situation at Secunda Rubbish Dump got worse over the weekend after the owner of the road leading to the rubbish dump, Mr André du Preez, decided to close this road on Friday, 6 December.

People dumped their rubbish next to the main road outside Secunda.

Govan Mbeki Municipality apparently gave Mr Du Preez no other choice as he has been battling with them for the past eight years to improve the situation at the rubbish dump.

The Echo and the Ridge Times reported on this issue numerous times and at the beginning of this year the spokesman of Govan Mbeki Municipality said Interwaste was going to take over and things will improve, but not much has changed.

Scavengers are still a problem.

They are still burning rubbish at the dump and living there illegally.

There is still no security at the rubbish dump and residents have been attacked there by the scavengers.

The police tried to chase them away a few times, but they return as soon as the police are gone.

In the meantime Mr Du Preez’s tenants cannot enter their businesses located on the road leading to the rubbish dump, because there is so much rubbish piled up at the rubbish dump that people cannot access it with their cars anymore.

The municipality told Mr Du Preez it is Interwaste’s problem and Interwaste told him it is the municipality’s problem.

The Echo and Ridge Times contacted the head of marketing and communications of Govan Mbeki Municipality, Mr Henry Masango, for comment, but he did not respond at the time of going to press.