Province tells City of Cape Town to clean up Dunoon
Warning on pollution and health hazards in informal settlement
The only children’s park in Dunoon is clogged with rubbish. Photo: Peter Luhanga
The City of Cape Town has moved to clean up chronic dumping in overcrowded Dunoon following a warning from the Western Cape environment department.
In a “pre-directive” issued to the municipal manager on 27 August, the director of Environmental Law Enforcement in the provincial Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Achmad Bassier said “large amounts of general waste” had been dumped in the local park, along the roadside and in a dam next to the N7, “which is not only causing significant pollution of the environment but also impacting negatively on the health and wellbeing of the residents within the Dunoon township”.
Bassier said the City had not taken “reasonable measures” to prevent pollution.
The City was given a week to explain why the pre-directive should not be made a directive.
This follows the accumulation of piles of rotting garbage and broken furniture in the park. The dam behind the municipal hall, which is surrounded by shacks, is clogged with refuse. Plastic bags float on the stagnant, murky water, and the banks are littered with heaps of trash.
Bassier said the City of Cape Town had 30 days to execute a clean-up and submit a comprehensive Waste Management Plan, complete with budgets and responsible officials. The plan must also outline weekly clean-ups, waste collections, and community awareness programs on pollution. Failure to comply could result in severe penalties, including fines of up to R10-million or up to ten years in prison.
On 29 August, the City announced in a statement that refuse collection in Dunoon would increase to three times a week from 1 September, in a bid to tackle severe dumping.
Wouter Kriel, spokesperson for Anton Bredell, the Western Cape MEC for Local Government, Environmental Affairs, and Development Planning, said the City of Cape Town had responded to the pre-directive with a Waste Management Plan on 5 September, along with evidence of clean-up efforts and a progress report.
He said the City had indicated that while some pollution was unavoidable, it was committed to minimising and rectifying environmental damage through regular waste collection and sanitation services.
“The Department is engaged in ongoing discussions with the City to find amicable solutions to the environmental challenges, including those affecting Dunoon Township,” Kriel said.
Luthando Tyhalibongo, spokesperson for the City of Cape Town, said the old quarry site near the N7 had been a challenge to clean but a new cleaning project had been started. With regard to general dumping around the area, he said, including the Mnandi Road site, the City provided 240litre wheelie bin refuse removal services for all formal households, and a door-to-door refuse removal for informal settlements, with area cleaning seven days a week.
“We are looking at other innovative ways to improve the level of cleanliness in informal settlements. This, however, will require communities to partner with the City to ensure success,” Tyhalibongo said.
He said the City’s Waste Management Plan, awaiting approval from the regulator, involved ongoing cleaning and operations to remove illegal dumping, education and awareness efforts, and law enforcement interventions to penalise and deter people who dump.
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Letters
Dear Editor
It's understandable that the Province is highly concerned and holding the City of Cape Town responsible and to be taken to task to remedy the severe pollution. Ultimately it's the City of Cape Town that's required to answer.
From CoCT perspective, the biggest challenge is the human discipline factor. The residents of Dunoon are causing various issues every year. Flooding caused by blocked sewers and evidence every time showing all sorts of garbage and rocks and everything in between being dumped by residents into the sewers. This year CoCT responded to an area of Dunoon that was also flooded, just to see that someone built his home illegally on top of the manhole area. They understandably couldn't unblock the particular sewer and have to apply the High Court for removal of the shack.
I've on a Facebook post commented that if the issue is perhaps a shortage of designated containers such as an approved skips container contractor placing skips and enough of them at especially the known hot spots. Or those large dumpster type larger bins/containers with closing lids. Maybe CoCT need to search and obtain tenders, explaining what specifically is required and the dumpster containers remaining the property of the approved contractor when the procurement process has been concluded. Only when there are enough receptacles in place, can CoCT embark on teaching the residents and curb the negative human discipline issue.
These are just a few thoughts. I'm sure that the department at CoCT have discussed various channels to curb the ever garbage and flooding issues year after year, my suggestion perhaps have been already discussed and investigated. It's a costing matter that perhaps can only be tabled and if successful, requires to be added to the annual budget expenses and trust there is enough income to cover annual cost of using a specialist contractor whom is also willing to enter and work in Dunoon. With respect said since the area do have its crime at any given time during day and night. Let's see how our CoCT can do magic and I can confirm, the City really works for us.
Dear Editor
I remember when Dunoon started. I remember that, in 1997, the first RDP houses there were handed over to their respective recipients, one step closer to a better life for all. I believe that the government's goal was to eradicate shacks throughout the whole of the country, and this kind of development was the start - not great, but a start nonetheless.
So how did it get from the 1997 picture, to what it looks like now? Why was it allowed to manifest into what we see today?
I don't understand all the factors at play, and I certainly am mindful of people who are hoping to find a better future by moving into the area.
What we are left with is unhealthy living conditions for most of them, rampant crime and encroachment onto private land bordering ratepayers properties in Parklands East. Malibongwe Drive is a smash-and-grab hotspot and is dangerous to drive at night. It's also a complete no-go area when there is civil action or when the taxi industry decides.
How are we ever going to get to a stage where everyone has a solid structured house with clean water and electricity when this Dunoon was allowed to replace the 1997 version?
Dear Editor
I am so glad that the City of Cape Town has finally been forced to do what we as taxpayers expect of them, not only for our middle class neighborhoods, but also for the townships.
I live in the Strand, and I am appalled by the horrific conditions the people of Nomzamo experience. The river is literally filled with plastic, the sewerage drains are overflowing and flooding streets, neighborhoods. And it seems the City is shining in its absence.
Please, please department of Environmental Affairs, come look here too and direct the City about Nomzamo too?
Dear Editor
The people of Dunoon are primarily responsible for this disaster since it's mostly their own waste and I personally believe that it's not government that will fix our problems. We as communities need to mobilize and collaborate within our neighbourhoods. If we are primarily affected, then we should do something about it ourselves.
Waiting on government to act is fine but after how long will we realise that we can't live like this before making changes?
Our government is in a state and this issue is only one of many issues the government has failed to resolve. Until we take control of our communities, things will never change. Even if the government this gets cleaned up, how long before it's back to where we started? Where does all this dirt eventually end up anyway? How many people understand what a landfill is?
When will people learn to work together and stop passing the responsibility to take action to someone else? This is the state of our community. Our South African mindset needs to change, and it needs to change NOW!
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