MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The communities of Civic Park and Joe Slovo in Mossel Bay have raised their concerns about two premises currently being used as places to dump refuse and they report that the premises are not only an eyesore, but where criminals commit crimes.
A house in D4 Ntaka Street, Joe Slovo, has been labelled by community members as a "danger" and an "unsafe" zone.
A community member told the Mossel Bay Advertiser the house was not only being used as a dumping area for refuse, but also as a hideaway for criminals. "It is well known in our community that D4 at Ntaka Street is the place where pedestrians get robbed and women get raped. We are scared of walking in that area."
Community members are also wondering who the culprits are and where the refuse is coming from.
The Advertiser made enquiries to the Da Gamaskop Police, in whose jurisdiction the premises is, regarding the complaints and is awaiting their response.
Solomon Street
In Solomon Street, Civic Park, number 13 is currently being used as a place to dump refuse. Community members are concerned about the health risk, especially for children. Sivuyile Mtila, senior manager: Waste Management at the Mossel Bay Municipality, says the municipality has been cleaning the areas of concern since 2016.
"Every month we clean them with an excavator and contractors have been appointed to clean open spaces."
Mtila says the municipality has issued various legal notices to the owners and found that both the owners had passed away. "We have since 2016 conducted various door to door campaigns in the concerned area regarding the effects of illegal dumping.
"We have also engaged the community on recycling and the use of the three-bag system (black, green and blue garbage bags)." He says parts of Civic Park adhere to the rules by part taking in the three-bag system. "We issue bags quarterly, the same as in other areas. We are doing a lot to keep the area clean."
Rubble at 13 Solomon Street. Photo: Jannie du Plessis
Chairman for community services: refuse removal, Civic Park, Niklaas Booisen, says the community is not working together to combat the problem.
"Some people are simply uneducated. We have enough services. We have the refuse truck that does its rounds once a week and we have a team that cleans all the empty premises, but people simply keep on throwing their garbage on open premises.
"Community members who build are also guilty as they dump their rubble on the open premises or in open fields." Booisen says despite giving households blue bags to recycle material "and the opportunity to make money out of garbage", people are still dumping where they see fit.
"We have an education programme where we try to teach people in our community to stop throwing their bags and garbage where they walk or in open fields, but we still sit with the problem."
Community members who have similar concerns can send a WhatsApp message with the details to 072 599 8533.
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