Kenneth Gardens residents in Umbilo are up in arms over ongoing illegal dumping at 52nd Durban Sea Scouts Hall on Ray Kete Road.
The hall, used as a church on Sundays, now has a bad stench, cockroaches, rats and flies, forcing residents to keep their windows and doors closed at all times. The residents claim that outsiders come to offload garbage bags and rubble at night. One of the residents, Neil Fynn, said Durban Solid Waste recently cleaned the place, but the rubbish has been pilling up again. On Tuesday afternoon, the residents gathered near the site to discuss a solution to the ongoing problem. “We need to put a fence around the place to stop this illegal dumping. Putting a fence will really help, as starting a garden would not stop the dumpers.”
Community activist, Karin Dreyer, said it’s about time the municipality enforces laws. She said the Health Department was contacted and a reference number was given to show that the matter has been reported. “This is now affecting the health of the residents. I live up the hill from here and still get the flies. If it’s a matter of funding and the municipality cannot fence this place, they should rather move the fence already there forward and leave no space for dumping as well as erect ‘No Dumping’ signs,” said Dreyer.
She appealed to DSW to clean the place urgently as the last time they came to clean was in September. Ward 33 Councillor, Sakhile Mngadi, said he was not aware of the illegal dumping. “I will be engaging with the Parks and Roads Department to erect signage. I will also visit the area to see it for myself. This is a big problem in our ward. People from outside the area dump their rubbish here because dumpsites in the city are largely inaccessible,” said Mngadi.
