Municipality highlights challenges after clearing of FCS dump

Update

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The illegal dumpsite outside the entrance to the Mossel Bay Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit is in the process of being cleared.

When Mossel Bay Advertiser visited the Dywili Street entrance to the office on Wednesday 15 July, the piles of rubbish consisting of chips packets, debris, food containers, plastic and glass bottles, black bags, old buckets and boxes had been mostly cleared, leaving what appeared to be some compostable items like old orange peels and garden refuse. Several people were on site, clearing the area.

According to sources at the FCS offices who wished not to be named, the illegal dump and missing pavement in front of the unit's driveway had been an issue for over a year.

One source said that the missing pavement had recently been filled in with sand by the Mossel Bay Municipality, and that the clearing of the dumpsite had begun on Tuesday 14 July, continuing on Wednesday.

In response to questions sent by the Advertiser to the municipality, it said that it actively manages the area through regular cleansing and waste removal operations. It said a door-to-door awareness campaign and clean-up initiative was conducted in the area as part of broader efforts to encourage responsible waste disposal and community ownership of public spaces.

"Despite these interventions, illegal dumping continues to occur, often shortly after the area has been cleaned.

"The continued recurrence of illegal dumping at this hotspot highlights the fact that addressing the issue requires more than clean-up activities alone. Sustainable solutions will require co-operation between the municipality, residents, businesses and other stakeholders to discourage illegal dumping and protect the surrounding environment," it said.

The municipality is exploring other measures to address the problem, including increased awareness initiatives, enhanced monitoring of known hotspots and the feasibility of surveillance measures where appropriate.

"Enforcement action may also be taken against indivi-duals found to be dumping waste illegally," it said.

"The municipality welcomes constructive engagement on this matter and would be happy to meet with affected stakeholders and community representatives to discuss practical ways of addressing the problem and promoting long-term behavioural change within the area."

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