Residents Happy with the Cleanup of Unofficial Dumpsite

Picture courtesy: (Shaun Sproule) In January, community members informed Rekord Noweto that the location had degenerated into a hotbed of criminal activity and environmental degradation.

(The Post News)- For years, locals have had to contend with an Informal waste site along the Hennops River, situated at the intersection of Wierda and Old Johannesburg roads.

The City of Tshwane has once again removed sections of an unofficial waste collection point that had long been a source of frustration for nearby residents.

The site, situated in the sensitive wetland area adjacent to the Hennops River, lies at the junction of the R101 Old Johannesburg Road and the M10 Wierda Road.

Community members had earlier informed Rekord that an escalation of illegal acts in the area had coincided with the establishment of the informal waste recycling site.

They alleged that the traders had been apprehended with stolen materials, including manhole covers, and that the incidence of burglaries had increased significantly.

Vast quantities of waste transported to and discarded at the location, subsequently sorted by waste pickers, have also resulted in contamination of the adjacent river, particularly during intense rainfall.

Last week, municipal officials from the waste management department assisted in clearing the site.

According to Ward Councillor Cindy Billson, unofficial waste collectors established their operations on provincial property approximately three years ago, around 2021.

“The issue originated on the land located at the corner of Wierda Road, situated between Saxby and Lorentz,” Billson previously explained to Rekord.

Billson explained that the original site was situated on privately owned land in 2018, but outsiders allegedly incited the squatters to occupy the site, leading to a volatile situation in which three vehicles were torched.

“This escalated into a violent confrontation, resulting in multiple arrests,” Billson recounted to Rekord in January.

She expressed her appreciation for the collaborative efforts of the waste management department and the mayoral office in clearing the site once again.

“The Gauteng provincial government is failing to respond to the City of Tshwane’s requests to clean and maintain provincial land,” Billson stated.

She added that the metro had previously tried to relocate the recyclers to a nearby area with adequate housing, but they returned to the original site within a week.