Neighbourhood watch: a solution to illegal dumping?

For several years Govan Mbeki Municipality has been on the receiving end of the public’s disapproval because of the lack of a waste collection schedule.
This has resulted in the illegal dumping all over the township. Recently, community members spent their holidays cleaning up the township to ensure that all the garbage, nappies and all waste in all the well-known illegal dumping sites were removed. These sites cause an increase in contagious diseases such as swine flu, diarrhoea, etc.
Community members started a neighbourhood watch WhatsApp group on which members can report illegal dumping in particular places in and around eMbalenhle. It is very easy when you suspect that there is a person who is dumping something in the street; take a picture and post it on the WhatsApp group with a location. It is against the municipality bylaws to dump used nappies and plastic everywhere. The council thinks that this is going to be the solution to the crisis in eMbalenhle.
“We can’t go on like that maybe people don’t know about scheduled times and place where municipality vehicles collect waste.”
Here is the collection truck schedule:
Monday: Ext 4,5,9,11,12,24 & CBD.
Tuesday: Ext 2,6,7,8,10 & 25.
Wednesday: Ext 18,19,20 & CBD.
Thursday: Ext 14,15,21 & parts of 22.
Fridays: Ext 17,22 & 16.
On the abovementioned dates, community members are urged to monitor the availability of trucks and if not, they can ask their wards councillors.
We hope 2020 is going to be a different year in regards to the attitude of waste collection and dumping. – Sandile Mkhwanazi