The local dumpsite recently came under fire from business owners. This came after visitors from out of town complained about the bad smell of the dumpsite at the graveyard, while attending a funeral. This is after the Msukaligwa Municipality in-source contractors for the maintenance of the dumpsite.
Business owners recently expressed their embarrassment after guests from out of town who stayed at one of the guesthouses in Ermelo East, complained about the bad smell of the local dumping site.
The guests were attending a funeral at the graveyard next to the dumping site, and according to them, the smell at the grave was unbearable.
They could hardly breathe and the amount of flies in the area was shocking.
Not knowing about the dumpsite behind the graveyard, the guests questioned if Msukaligwa Municipality are burying bodies properly, thinking that may be the root cause of the bad smell and amount of flies in the area.
At first the woman at the guesthouse did not understand where the smell came from, but soon remembered and informed the guests of the dumpsite behind the graveyard.
Mr Athol Stark, chairman of the Ermelo Business Association (EBA), told the Highvelder that they received numerous complaints regarding the dumpsite affecting businesses in the east areas of Ermelo.
“The dumpsite is out of control and it cannot go on like this,” said Mr Stark.
When he and a few other people paid a visit to the dumpsite, they noticed that the rubbish was right up to the entrance of the dumpsite and the smell of rotten food and refuse was overpowering.
The owners of the guesthouse, who does not want to be named because of the embarrassment already caused by the dumpsite next to the graveyard, feels that with the graveyard and dumpsite next to each other, the municipality cannot let the lack of control at the dumpsite continue.
One of their biggest concerns with the dry winter season approaching at a fast rate, is the possibility of the dumpsite catching fire.
“The last time the dumpsite caught fire, it burned for more than three months. The only way we got it under control was to apply for a warrant of arrest to the municipal manager and the head of service department at the time,” said Mr Stark.
According to him the people in the lower side of Ermelo East are suffering under the smell of the burning rubbish and this in turn, affects their health.
“We as a community organisation have empathy for the municipality but this cannot go on and we are saying that is it enough.”
This is what the local dumpsite in Ermelo looked like before the Msukaligwa Municipality started with the in-sourcing of contractors. The in-sourcing started from Friday, 1 March.
The Highvelder inquired at the Msukaligwa Municipality about the contractors responsible for maintaining the dumpsite and what their plan of action with the dumpsite is, and according to Mr Mandla Zwane, spokesman of Msukaligwa Municipality, there are currently no contractors on site.
“The municipality has in-sourced the maintenance of the Ermelo landfill site and other sites. The in-sourcing started from Friday, 1 March.”
He added that in order for the municipality to ameliorate the situation at the site, it has recently advertised vacant positions in the Highvelder.
The procurement of the machinery for the site maintenance is at an advanced stage.
“The municipality apologises for the inconvenience caused to the adversely affected communities,” he concluded.
