Contractor at Bethal dumping site wants his money

BETHAL – Govan Mbeki Municipality owes the contractor responsible for Bethal dumping site about R1.2 million.

The contractor decided to close the dumping site until this outstanding amount has been paid.

According to the site manager, Mr Lungile Nhanhla, the municipality paid R208 000 on 15 March and another amount last week, but the dumping site will remain closed until more money is paid.

Scavengers next to the Standerton road at the dumping site, threw cars with stones last week and one vehicle was damaged.

Refuse removal in Bethal is also standing still as there are no trucks available to remove the refuse.

Political parties and organisations such as the DA and AfriForum are communicating with the municipality to try to solve the matter.

Members of AfriForum cleaned the CBD last week and Ms Marietjie Fourie, DA councillor, said she will take up the matter with the mayor.

She already handed in a special motion to the municipality on 27 February regarding the refuse removal situation.

In this motion she requested the municipality to provide and implement a recovery plan to collect the backlog of waste and to clean the refuse and to process refunds for the areas where refuse was not removed.

The newspaper asked Mr Thisha Mhlanga, municipal manager of Govan Mbeki Municipality, for comment on Monday, 12 March, but he did not respond.

The newspaper asked why the Bethal dumping site is closed and what plans are being made by the municipality to re-open it and what people should do with their refuse.

The newspaper again asked Mr Mhlanga and the communications department of Govan Mbeki Municipality for comment on 16 March and asked them about the R1.2 million owed to the contractor, how and when the municipality will pay back the money, what plans the municipality has in store to address this problem and what the municipality will do to intensify safety at the dumping site, but neither responded at time of going to print.