SEBOKENG. – The closure of the Boitshepiville (Matiki) and the Duncanville landfill (dumping) sites is having serious repercussions for the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) and the local communities.

Following the closure, illegal dumping sites have been created at every street corner, particularly in the townships.

Another illegal dumping site that is becoming huge by the day is the one along the Waterdal/Boiketlong Road, just outside Boiketlong (Serope sa Benya) where it is said that the members of the community from Waldrift and Duncanville have resorted to dumping their rubbish.

A lot of users of the Boitshepiville (Matiki) and Waldrift landfill sites are said to be reluctant to drive to the Palmsprings landfill site because of the distance, this is where they were referred to after the closure of the other two dumping sites last year, the Boitshepiville (Matiki) and the Duncanville landfill (dumping) sites.

Visiting the illegal Boiketlong dumping site this past week, Sedibeng Ster discovered that scavengers were doing their ‘work’ as usual with trucks and vans coming in every second, without being prohibited, most from the direction of Vereeniging (Duncanville and Waldrift).

“We were told by the residents of Waldrift that this is the new dumping site and that we should come here. They also said that the dumping site in Waldrift/ Sonlandpark is closed for a while for maintenance procedures,” said one scavenger who wished not to be named.

“Please tell the municipality that they need to finish the maintenance at the Waldrift/ Sonlandpark landfill site quickly because here we are going hungry. There is nothing of value that is dumped here except garden rubble and rotten food. At the Waldrift/ Sonlandpark landfill site, we used to find valuable and recyclable things,” said a recycler.

ELM spokesperson, Makhosonke Sangweni, said that there is a lot of uncontrollable dumping of waste around open spaces and main roads in Emfuleni due to limited land space licensed for waste disposal and that community members end up using shortcuts and illegal ways of disposing of waste.

“The law enforcement officers have been deployed to monitor these areas (illegal dumping sites) and issue spot fines for perpetrators. The areas are also being cleaned with a 90-day maintenance program using 2 tipper trucks and one machine.”

This service has been in overwhelming demand, with limited resources from the ELM.