Illegal dumping is a cause for concern in the Stellenbosch Municipality, according to Stuart Grobbelaar, spokesperson for Stellenbosch Municipality. The cost of clearing the illegally dumped waste in the region is around R23 million, he added. PHOTO: Andrea de Lilly
Illegal dumping remains an ongoing problem in the Stellenbosch region and clearing it costs the municipality around R23 million per year.
This is according to Stuart Grobbelaar, spokesperson for Stellenbosch Municipality, who spoke to MatieMedia via written correspondence.
The municipality removes around 3 million kg of waste in black wheelie bins and around 600 000 kg of illegally dumped waste per month, said Grobbelaar. “On average, between 18% to 20% of all refuse removed from our municipal area is illegally dumped and this places a massive unnecessary burden on taxpayers,” he added.
The Stellenbosch Municipality removes around 3 million kg of waste in black wheelie bins and around 600 000 kg of illegally dumped waste per month, according to Stuart Grobbelaar, spokesperson for the Stellenbosch Municipality. PHOTO: Andrea de Lilly
Putting trash in its place
Earlier in April, the municipality started an initiative in Cloetesville where they aimed to address the issue of dumping, said Grobbelaar. On 13 April, mayor Gesie van Deventer, Cloetesville ward councillor, Elsabe Vermeulen and a group of Cloetesville residents cleared some of the community’s dumping spots, stated Grobbelaar.
The clean-up project started as a program at Cloetesville High School, where parents often volunteer to clean up the streets, said Vermeulen via written correspondence with MatieMedia.
“We want to plant succulents where these dumping spots were previously,” said Vermeulen in response to how the municipality plans on keeping these areas clean.
Finding solutions
Despite municipal efforts, some residents feel that more can be done to address the issue. According to Cloetesville resident, Janine Fortuin, the municipality should hire more people who are committed to keeping the area clean.
Refuse bins are overflowing with dirt and waste in the Long Street park in Cloetesville. Some Cloetesville residents claim that the municipality needs to do more to alleviate the issue of dumping in the community. According to resident Morits Jansen, some municipal cleaners do not clean the area adequately. PHOTO: Andrea de Lilly
Another resident, Morits Jansen, echoed these sentiments. He claimed that some municipal workers have not been doing an adequate job of cleaning the area. He claimed that littering in the Long Street park attracted vermin.
“Littering has been an issue for a while […] If there is litter, then we clean it up. If we see [that] this street is dirty, we clean it up,” said Fortuin.
Plastic litters the ground, and refuse bins overflow with trash, attracting flies at the Long Street park in Cloetesville, according to Morits Jansen, a Cloetesville resident. Another resident, Janine Fortuin, suggested that the municipality hire more people to clean the community. PHOTO: Andrea de Lilly
The municipality encouraged residents “to join in on clean-up campaigns in their area […] and report illegal dumping immediately by contacting the Law Enforcement Control Room”, said Grobbelaar.