The cries of Westcliff residents and business owners were finally heard recently when a massive clean up operation took place at the Woodhurst Garden Refuse site.
The magnitude of the clean up required a portion of the Higginson Highway, between Arena Park and Bayview, to be temporarily closed for just over three hours. In a notice prior to the clean up operation, Ward 70 councillor Tony Govender confirmed the closure reasoning: “Illegal Dumpers have dumped refuse all along the pedestrian walk on the bridge, spanning over both East and West bound lanes. So to prevent any falling debris onto motorists, Metro Police decided it best to close off these junctures and clean without fear of damages to passing motorists below.”
Govender has called upon residents not to support ‘bakkie brigades’ that are driving around offering dumping services.
“These drivers come at night and dump outside the dump site, if not, they go to other open spaces. W have one more clean up operation that will be on the industrial side of Sunset Avenue. Any motor vehicle that comes to dump will be seen as we are going to be installing cameras, they will be named and shamed and we will expose their vehicle registration numbers together with fines that range from R5 000 to R20 000. We also appeal to the businesses not to indulge in dumping at the site which is strictly for garden refuse only,” he said.
Following the clean up, residents have called on their neighbouring communities to be mindful of the rules and regulations at the dump.
Dylen Govender said: “Now that the dump has been cleaned, we request for people from our neighbouring communities not to indulge the people hanging around the dump and to use the facility responsibly. We cannot afford to have another health risk in the areas surrounding the site, please think of the residents that live near here when dumping your refuse.”
The eThekwini Municipality also cautioned residents to use the facility wisely.
Gugu Sisilana, municipal spokesperson said: “The Chatsworth Garden refuse site was not closed in December. It was operational. The City is faced with a problem of residents and businesses who illegally dump waste around the site. The Chatsworth Garden refuse site only accepts garden refuse. Clean-up operations have been done on many occasions to clear waste illegally dumped.
“Waste illegally dumped normally consist of domestic waste. This type of waste is not permitted in any garden sites. The City requests residents to be mindful of their scheduled collection days and to take out their domestic waste in the morning of collection. We also have a role to play in ensuring a clean and healthy environment.”
Residents are urged to play an active role of being mindful of their spaces and report those who illegally dump waste by calling the Cleansing and Solid Waste helpline on the following number 031 3118804 or by emailing DSW@durban.gov.za.
