Update

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - A month after Mossel Bay Advertiser reported on the illegal dump and missing paving outside the entrance to the Mossel Bay Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit, it seems that little has changed.

The Advertiser visited the offices again on 22 June, only to find that the divot between the missing section of paving and the FCS’s driveway has become more pronounced, and the dump along the unit’s Dywili Street entrance still remains.

This issue was originally brought to the Advertiser’s attention by one of the unit’s officers, who asked not to be named.

The officer previously said these two issues had been a concern for a year now and that the dump has become a nest for mice and rats, with the rodents actually chewing through cables several times, leaving the unit without internet or phone lines on a number of occasions.

The officer claimed that the missing pavement damages the FCS’s vehicles when they enter and exit the premises, which they do multiple times a day when the officers rush out to cases, conduct investigations and go to court.

When the Advertiser visited the property recently, the same officer said the damage to vehicles has worsened as the depression between the driveway and pavement has deepened.

Paving stones had been removed from the pavement outside the FSC Unit's Dywili Street entrance. The depression between the driveway and pavement has seemingly deepened in the past month. Photo: Chelsea Pieterse

The Advertiser had previously sent the municipality some queries about the current situation, to which it replied that the site outside the FCS station is cleaned routinely, but that illegal dumping unfortunately persists.

The municipality had also previously stated that it will continue to make affected areas (of the pavement) safe by reinstating damaged sections with gravel, but that repeated incidents of vandalism and theft place unnecessary strain on municipal resources and delay more permanent solutions.

Responding to follow-up questions sent to the municipality on 22 June, it said the area in question is serviced on a regular basis and that a targeted door-to-door awareness campaign, accompanied by a clean-up operation, was conducted on 27 May to address ongoing illegal dumping concerns.

It said that in addition to this, the site forms part of the municipality’s routine waste management programme and is cleaned several times per week.

he illegal dumping ground and missing pavement outside the FCS Unit’s offices. Photo: Chelsea Pieterse

“Bulky waste, including illegally dumped building rubble, is removed on a monthly basis. The municipality continues to monitor the area and appeals to residents to make use of designated waste disposal facilities and services in order to maintain a clean and healthy environment,” it said.

With regard to the missing paving, the municipality said the maintenance of it falls within the municipality’s mandate.

“However, the damage reported in this instance can largely be attributed to theft and acts of vandalism,” it said.

It called on the public to report incidents of vandalism or theft, and to provide statements or testify where required, as this is critical to successful enforcement and prevention.

“In the interim, and to ensure safety and accessibility, the municipality is reinstating damaged sections with gravel as a temporary measure while longer-term solutions are considered.”

Reports can be made to 044 606 5000, [email protected] or the Collab Citizen smartphone app.

Previous article: Illegal dumping and missing pavement outside Mossel Bay FCS

‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’