GEORGE NEWS - There is a widespread perception that the municipality is singly responsible for keeping our city clean, and that it is doing "nothing" to keep illegal dumping in check. All evidence to the contrary. 

Cleaning up where the public has illegally dumped their rubbish is a R36-million exercise for the George and Garden Route District municipalities - money that could have been spent on other important municipal services if every member of the community disposed of their own rubbish through the provided channels. 

This message emerged loud and clear at an event in the Thembalethu Community Hall on Saturday where the two municipalities reported on the project they rolled out to get the Garden Route clean again.

The picture that emerged from the addresses of GRDM waste management officer Johan Gie, George Mayor Leon van Wyk, GRDM Mayor Memory Booysen and street project coordinator Karin Stoffels, was quite shocking.

Due to the enormity of the project, the costs at a district level and a lack of external funding, the cleaning up project had to be tackled in a phased approach. Phase 1 (September till December this year) was to clear illegally dumped waste in Thembalethu and Pacaltsdorp, the areas where illegal dumping is most prevalent and intervention therefore most crucial.

Stoffels, the street project coordinator, said the teams working alongside the machines helped get the work done faster. They manually gathered all the grass and loose waste, and put it in bags ready to be collected. This came to an estimated 1 900 loads. 

"We have only been focusing on the hotspots, but from 2 November we will be looking at other problem areas too," she promised.

Gie also highlighted the dangers posed by dumping sites. During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic it became evident that illegal dumping was prevalent in the Covid-19 hotspots throughout the district. According to the GRDM Coronavirus Command Centre, this means illegally dumped waste could lead to transmission of the coronavirus as well as other diseases.

Members of the community-based clean-up teams with GRDM Mayor Memory Booysen (back, second from left) and George Mayor Leon van Wyk (back right).

Keep it clean yourself
The speakers stressed that each community member carries responsibility for keeping their surrounds clean. They debunked the myth that illegal dumping of rubbish creates work for others.

In reality, the habit wastes money that could have been spent better.

In the coming months, skips will be placed at dumping hotspots to encourage people to discard their waste responsibly. But Booysen was quick to point out that this is not a licence to leave a mess.

"Because we use machines to clean, does not mean or give anyone the right to now go and dump their waste there again. This is not the collection point," he said.

"Waste is supposed to be collected at each person's home, and not on the streets or where children are playing."

He said the project should be seen as an opportunity for people to take up responsibility, create their own cleaning companies and take initiative to keep their areas clean.

Stoffels said they want communities to join hands with the municipality in starting different community efforts such as vegetable gardens, which will not only make the neighbourhoods look clean, but also teach children to take responsibility.

Particularly striking was the voice of the people. Some community members spoke up, telling how the dumped waste affects their lives, and one woman from Pacaltsdorp said she will start taking names and reporting people.

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