“People take their rubbish and throw it in the veld. Some of the things include rotten vegetables which are still inside plastic bags.”
Residents in Deodar Street in Floors have called on the Sol Plaatje Municipality to implement strict measures and regulations against those who are guilty of illegal dumping.
Residents were expressing their frustration over dumping that occurred in an open veld in their community.
One resident in Deodar Street said the worrying factor was that there are people who own horses and their horses usually eat the refuse that is strewn in the veld.
“People take their rubbish and throw it in the veld. Some of the things include rotten vegetables which are still inside plastic bags.
“The horses then chew on these plastic bags in order to get to the vegetables inside. This is dangerous,” he said.
Others said that dumping is not only unhygenic to animals but also to the residents.
“There are various things that are just being dumped in that veld. The stench that comes from there is unbearable. Another problem is that this filthy veld is situated right next to the school and our young children are being exposed to these conditions.
“The rubbish also contributes towards an infestation of rodents and snakes. We really need the municipality to act against people who litter and dump. We cannot be forced to stay in filthy conditions,” they said.
Municipal spokesperson, Sello Matsie, said residents need to take ownership with regards to the beautification of their areas.
“We have been going out on campaigns to educate people on how to take pride and ownership of their residential areas. We have a major problem with illegal dumping and the community needs to stand up against such acts.
“We continuously clean the areas where dumping occurs, only to find that the problem reoccurs the moment the area has been cleaned. As a municipality we need to strengthen the consequences for dumping.”