Burning refuse at the municipal dump left a pall of smoke over the centre of Grahamstown today, Friday 11 July, as the city gears up for the final weekend of the National Arts Festival.
Burning refuse at the municipal dump left a pall of smoke over the centre of Grahamstown today, Friday 11 July, as the city gears up for the final weekend of the National Arts Festival.
The dump lies 2km west of the city, next to the Cradock Road.
Richard Grant, who lives in Hill 60, west of the Cradock Road said this afternoon that the smoke had come and gone with the wind.
He said he while the smoke was unpleasant, it was its long-term effects he feared more.
"The gases are toxic," he said. "They might not do immediate harm, but they might make citizens sick five years from now," he said.
"The municipality needs to finds another way of disposing of the rubbish, because this one is proving to be the worst."
But Sifiso Radebe, owner of the Sifiso Traditional wear stall at the Village Green, said, “The smoke did not affect the inside stalls because I only noticed the smoke when I went outside.”
Emma Cummings, who was working at the Clumber Valley stall, said, “It hasn’t really affected us here.”
The fire department confirmed this afternoon that the smoke was caused by burning refuse at the municipal dump.
Around 4.30pm, a fire vehicle was seen going up the Cradock Road in the direction of the dump.
