Municipality fails to maintain rubbish dump

SECUNDA – Since the Ridge Times has reported about the situation at the Secunda Rubbish Dump last year December, the situation has gotten worse as the Govan Mbeki Municipality is now apparently forcing residents to dump their rubbish on the main road leading to the rubbish dump.

The owner of the road at the site, Mr André du Preez, closed the road on 6 December because the municipality apparently did not abide to any of the agreements they had with him which included security at the rubbish dump, no scavengers, no illegal fires and maintaining the rubbish dump.

The municipality kept the road closed in December and is now using heavy machinery to open the road inside the rubbish dump as it was filled with rubbish.

“When the rubbish dump was still open, the scavengers stopped people before they could even go inside and began unloading their rubbish, that is why the roads inside the rubbish dump were inaccessible,” said a resident.

Officials from Govan Mbeki Municipality and several other stakeholders which included representatives from Sasol, Mr Du Preez, Ms Tokkie Reinecke from AfriForum, Mr Tim Denny and Ms Tarnia Baker (DA councillors) had an emergency meeting on Sunday, 22 December to discuss the issue.

Mr Du Preez made his machines and workers of OTB Construction available free of charge and began clearing most of the rubbish at the Secunda rubbish dump.

According to a source the municipality rent trucks to remove the rubbish in the road inside the rubbish dump to make it accessible for vehicles.

Ms Reinecke later contacted one of the municipal officials who said: “The scavengers will always be there.”

“The scavengers begin drinking alcohol at 8am. I have reported it to the traffic department and nothing has been done,” said Ms Reinecke.

The scavengers tried to throw a big can at the Ridge Times’ reporter’s vehicle when she went there last week to take photos.

The Ridge Times asked the head of marketing and communications of Govan Mbeki Municipality, Mr Henry Masango, for comment, but he did not reply at the time of going to print.

Readers can view photos and video clips of the rubbish dump on the Echo/Ridge Times Newspapers Facebook page.

Facebook comments:

* Sandra Brown – Wonder net wat word van ons water- en ligtegeld elke maand as ons dorp in so ’n haglike toestand is.

* Calven Khamba – No this has gone out of control now, really the Govan Mbeki Municipality must do something about this or show us where to dump our rubbish. Even now they are not picking up the rubbish. What is going on with these guys?

* Ruan van Wyk – Ek ry elke dag werk toe op daardie pad en ek sweer ek gaan begin Pacman speel en die scavengers omry… hulle staan die pad vol.

* Elize Fourie van Wyk – BAD !!!!

* Russell Gordon – What a mess. Hierdie gemors moet onder Sasol se aandag gebring word. Waar is hulle verantwoordelikheid?

* Sonja Hanekom Liebenberg – Het nou op die pad gery dit is die nuwe pad oppad na Charlie 5 wat deurloop Trichardt toe. Die mense staan daar met bakkies en sleepwaens en gooi die goed net langs die pad af want die asgate is toe en ons wonderlike stadsraad doen niks. Die dorp verval, dit is baie sad en dan wen hulle nog van tyd tot tyd die toekenning vir skoonste dorp. Wat ’n grap.

* Helmut Rumpf – This is so indicative of where this country is headed. It also clearly shows what the result is when people are appointed/voted into positions and they do not have the aptitude, skills or willingness to improve circumstances. It is only when we have the right kind of people in positions of power that we will be able to turn situations like this around. (This is not about race, but rather about the quality of the person).

* Sonja Hanekom Liebenberg – Pateties wat word van ons dorp? Alles gaan agteruit en absoluut niks word daaraan gedoen nie. Waarvoor betaal ons elke maand belasting en hoekom moet inwoners van Secunda af na Kinross toe ry om vuilgoed weg te gooi? Dis onaanvaarbaar.

* Mari Krige Burger – Raak betrokke by julle dorpswyke deur julle raadslede!! As jy betrokke is kan jy kla, anders bly julle stil. Daar GAAN NIKS gebeur nie. Hoe meer mense betrokke is, hoe sterker is die raadslede se arms. Maar dit is ongerieflik om een uur maandeliks af te staan aan die wyksvergaderings. Moet dan asseblief nie kla nie. Dis die keuse wat julle maak.

* Tokkie Reinecke – Govan Mbeki Municipality is so used of sitting back and respond with “We do not have funds” and Sasol takes over their responsibilities.