Struggle to no avail to save pan
May 08 2008 01:59:09:757PM  - (SA)  

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So says Mrs L. Graham, a resident of Fiskaal Street. She and her husband have been trying to get the Matjhabeng Municipality to respond to their pleas to do something about this disaster area since 2007 to no avail.

Last week Vista reported about the serious and hazardous sewage problems in and around the pan, touching on the ever-increasing dumping problems.

The Graham couple has now supplied photographs and documentation of their futile struggle to get someone at the municipality, or even their ward councillor, to respond to their pleas.

In an e-mail to Mr Toy Beneke (who is not their ward councillor), Mrs Graham says the area is an ever-increasing dumping and animal disposal site. “In one small area there are five large dog carcasses,” writes Mrs Graham.

The Grahams have also brought the dumping of old pipes and rubble by the road contractors working on the Stateway pipe replacement project to the council’s attention. Mr Graham wrote in a letter to the municipality that he understood that the council had given the contractors permission to dump near the old municipal dumping site. “They have since moved to the pine trees near the Long Road/Menelaus Street circle, encouraging others to follow suit.”

On 16 January the Graham couple observed a front-end loader picking up some of the rubble. Nothing more was done, and since then the situation has deteriorated drastically.

“At least in an official dumping ground the control and management of general communal and general small waste disposal sites (GN no. 91 GG23053) states that the owner must compact and cover waste on a daily basis with a minimum of 150 ml of soil or other approved material, they must immediately bury in a trench and cover with 500 ml of soil or other approved material, any dead animals, rejected carcasses, parts of dead animals, contaminated food, food rests or any edible material and they must on a daily basis collect wind-blown material leaving the site. But here everything lies open, and blows everywhere, not to mention the smell.”

Graham says it might help somewhat to put up no dumping signs, and it would help to have an accessible and legal dumping site for Welkom, besides the Virginia one.

“People we have confronted when dumping all say they do not know what else to do.”

The area is also becoming a “nursery” for alien invasive plants. “There is a bush, I think it is called the bankrotbos, that has multiplied in the area. I see it is now moving towards town, growing on the pavements and islands.

“Also over the past three years the tamarisk has taken hold, and last summer thousands upon thousands flourished.

“Please, could something be done to save this area? In other parts of South Africa (and the world) areas around wetlands are sought after, we are embarrassed and saddened by the conditions we live in.”

Numerous e-mails have only elicited one answer from the mayor’s office, on Wednesday 22 August: “Your e-mails and the content thereof have been forwarded to Executive Mayor Mathabo Leeto for her perusal and consideration. We thank you for bringing this matter to the attention of the Office of the Executive Mayor.”

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