Durban - UMBILO residents are angry over dumping that has been taking place in the area.
The dumping has led to some complaining of a foul smell that has affected activities in the area.
Mervin Christopher, the 52nd Durban Sea Scouts chairperson, said they used a hall at Ray Keyte Place, near the dump site at Kenneth Gardens.
Christopher said municipal officials at the park initially told residents to dump their goods adjacent to the park. This soon changed as some residents started to dump at the park and this has affected people who use facilities around the area.
He has been trying to get the matter resolved without success and has written to various authorities with no progress.
He said the smell was bad as people disposed of meat and other rubbish that festered and attracted flies in the area. This has been going on for more than a year and has left them feeling exasperated.
Mark Lombaard, a resident since 1978, said that off-hand he could identify 15 areas in Umbilo that were dumping sites.
“It brings rats and flies into the area. It also brings vagrants,” he said. Lombaard said this brought down the prices of properties in the area.
Lombaard said some of the dumping at sites around Umbilo took place after hours, when there were no officials.
EThekwini Municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said: “As a caring City eThekwini Municipality has a dedicated team of staff who strive to provide superior service to all city residents. Service delivery remains our key priority. The matter has been brought to the attention of the relevant unit. The area manager responsible for the area will investigate and address the matter accordingly.
“Please note that the city will never encourage illegal dumping, and these allegations are false. Cleansing and Solid Waste (DSW) attends to all cases reported as illegal dumping could cause accidents on the road and poses serious environmental health issues.”
He said the procedure where there was illegal dumping happening was for DSW staff to engage with residents or businesses in the area and teach them about how to get rid of their waste.
Mayisela said there were also signboards that emphasised that there was no dumping of waste in the area.
This was the latest problem faced by residents as the river in the area also deals with pollution from companies dumping their products in the river. Community members have been fighting dumping in the river for years.
Daily News