Illegal dumping crisis in Jouberton

Waste pickers are instrumental in recycling, but they may be putting their health at risk. (File Photo)

Resident Jan Selebalo said: “The municipality trucks sometimes don’t come to collect our dustbins, so we are left with no choice.”

Ward 12 councillor Mlungisi Chao said that illegal dumping was a crisis, not only in his ward but the whole Jouberton. He ascribed it to limited resources, and said that the council would like to fix the situation.

The municipality ran a programme in May 2012 to educate residents about illegal dumping. The programme was to take three months, and included a promise by the municipality that it would clean the whole township. Anybody seen dumping anything illegal after that would be fined.  Yet the township has never been cleaned.

Regional executive member of the South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO), Lucky Mundlovu, who lives in Extension 24, said: “This situation is unacceptable. Our community has to be saved from this living environment.”

Chao said: “If we could have kept our promise the situation would be different, but we ask those who can help with resources to come forward and we will co-operate to make our environment better for our residents.”

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