On Saturday, the Tshwane Bulletin Newspaper Team visited Medicos Special School to honour the invitation and cover the Youth Day Indigenous Games and Cultural Exchange event in Soshanguve.
To our shock, we found a huge dumping site at the entrance, where the local community dumps all their household rubbish. The illegal dump site is next to the school, which caters to children with special needs. This poses a health risk as some children are easily affected by the smell, compromising their health.
How can the community engage in such behaviour, especially next to a learning institution? Illegal dumping contributes to air pollution as waste materials release toxic fumes when they decompose. Additionally, it negatively impacts public health, as hazardous waste can lead to various diseases and illnesses.
We spoke to a resident from the area, who wished to remain anonymous. She said, “We have been urging community members to stop dumping next to Medicos Special School. Some have listened, but others have ignored our calls.
During summer, the area breeds mosquitoes and other flies, making it difficult for nearby residents to sleep at night. We need the municipality to get involved and penalise those who dump in this area since it affects the learners during school hours.”
She emphasised the importance of reporting illegal dumping and properly disposing of hazardous waste to protect the school.
When asked about illegal dumping, she explained that people do it for many reasons. “These range from a lack of education on available disposal options to simply not driving to the local landfill or transfer station. Additionally, a lack of monitoring by authorities or lenient punishments contributes to the problem.”
MMC for Environment and Agriculture Ziyanda Zwane recently led the ‘Rekaofela Cleaning Campaign’ in Soshanguve. The campaign aimed to clean up the streets of Tshwane and educate the community about the importance of a clean environment.
Residents of Soshanguve came out in large numbers to support the campaign and clean up the area, which was developing several illegal dumping sites. MMC Ziyanda Zwane highlighted the importance of the campaign in eradicating the problem and keeping the city clean.
