Durban — Driving towards eThekwini TVET College, Springfield Campus, we came across members of the public illegally dumping rubbish on the side of the road from their vehicles, people sifting through rubbish, piles of rubbish burning on the side of the road releasing toxic fumes into the air, and debris blocking the road leading to the campus.
The unpleasant scene was described by ActionSA’s provincial chairperson Zwakele Mncwango, who, along with a team of ActionSA members, conducted an oversight visit at the Springfield Campus on Tuesday, after receiving complaints of how the vicinity of the college had become a haven for illegal dumpers.
It is reported that toxic fumes are released into the air daily due to the flames that continuously burn outside the college, posing a threat to the health of college students and staff members. The situation has allegedly resulted in lecturers and students missing days of vital teaching time due to constantly being sick.
“Most shockingly, the municipality has subjected its employees to working in such hazardous conditions, as the eThekwini Electricity Network Control Faults Operations depot is located across the campus, and thus also suffers from the health hazards faced by students and lecturers.”
Mncwango added that it had come to ActionSA’s attention that municipal workers from the depot were allegedly responsible for dumping some of their waste outside the vicinity of their property, and that of the campus.
The taxi association members who operate in the area said it had been engaging with the municipality to find a solution. Cato Manor Taxi Association PRO Mbuyiseni Khanyile said that they encountered problems whenever they drove through that stretch of road behind the college.
“We are also affected due to breathing these toxic fumes, and get tyre punctures from the debris,” Khanyile said.
Mncwango said they would also put a motion before the municipal council at its next meeting to put an immediate stop to the illegal dumping by placing security in the area to enforce the City’s by-laws.
eThekwini Municipality Head of Communications, Lindiwe Khuzwayo, said that the Electron Road illegal dumping stemmed from businesses and residents dumping refuse illegally on Electron and Dhulam, adjacent to the decommissioned Bisasar Road Landfill site that was closed to municipal domestic refuse in January 2016.
Khuzwayo further stated that there had been various cleansing and solid waste clean-ups that had proven unsustainable.
eThekwini TVET college spokesperson Lindiwe Bhengu said they relied on the municipality to fix the problem.
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