Before and after: Left - a field in Motherwell covered in rubbish a few weeks ago. Right - the same field (from a different position) on 2 February. Photos: Joseph Chirume
3 February 2017
On 20 January GroundUp reported that rubbish was accumulating in NU8 and the informal settlements of Powerline and Endlovini in Motherwell, Port Elizabeth. The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has since cleaned the area.
Municipality spokesperson Mthubanzi Mniki said: “We will be launching a programme towards the end of February to focus on illegal dumping.This programme will include awareness, cleaning of illegal dumping sites and giving fines to those who are caught dumping illegally.”
Long-time resident of Powerline, Akhona (surname withheld), lived alongside one of the dumps that had gone uncleaned. She said she was excited that there was no more rubbish around the shacks in her area. “We feel safe now because there is no more the sight and smell of rubbish. People should desist from dumping here. There are designated places to dump their rubbish but they prefer this place. We will soon gather and form a committee that would guard this place and prevent people from doing so.”
Motherwell NU 8 resident Damara Kano said he would now revert to using his usual road when going to the shops. The small road was previously blocked by overflowing rubbish posing a health threat to him and other residents. “The municipality should enforce dumping laws because people are just throwing their rubbish everywhere which is not good for our health. Rubbish has been ruling the roost in this area for the past two months and it’s a relief that it has been cleared.”