Makana Municipality this week confirmed that it had received R1.6 million from the Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs (DEDEA) to better manage the rubbish dump on the town’s outskirts.
Makana Municipality this week confirmed that it had received R1.6 million from the Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs (DEDEA) to better manage the rubbish dump on the town’s outskirts.
Municipal spokesperson Yoliswa Ramokolo said this is subsequent to the Grahamstown high court order that the municipality should comply with environmental legislation.
“We would like to assure residents of Makana that as the municipality we are taking steps to address the situation at the landfill site to make sure that we comply with the conditions of the permit,” Ramokolo said.
In September 2015 the Makana Unity League (MUL) won a court case against the municipality about the state of the rubbish dump and it was ordered to comply with the Environmental Compliance Notice.
The League is a coalition of Grahamstown businesses, institutions and high-profile individuals.
However, since then the municipality has not complied with the court order according to a document issued by the League’s attorneys.
Ramokolo said the municipality wanted to assure residents that they were taking steps to address the situation at the rubbish dump.
“We would like to place on record that we have received funding from DEDEA (R1.6m) subsequent to the court order,” Ramokolo said.
“The funding is meant to ensure that we address issues raised by the court. These include among others: developing a storm water management plan; refurbishing the perimeter fence; appointing a specialist to monitor air quality and another to monitor and analyse gas emissions.
“In addition to that we have appointed MBB Consultants to implement a storm water management plan. We have also advertised for the repair of the weighbridge and we have done the same for containers for recycling.
“We have also sought quotations for the upgrade of the control room,” said Ramokolo.
Makana’s Social Services Director Mandisi Planga confirmed that the municipality had submitted reports to the court following the court order.
“We have not received anything from the Makana Unity League as yet. However, if it were up to us we would prefer for the issues to be resolved out of court. We are going to do whatever we can to attend to those and some of the work has already commenced,” Planga said.
Planga was referring to a letter, a copy of which is in Grocott’s Mail’s possession. Dated Friday 6 January 2017, it is signed by the League’s legal representative Brin Brody of Wheeldon, Rushmere & Cole Inc. and addressed to Makana Municipality’s attorneys, Netteltons.
In the letter the League’s attorneys give notice of their intention to proceed with Contempt of Court action, suggesting that an ongoing fire at the rubbish dump site in Grahamstown since 19 December 2016 emphasised the municipality’s alleged lack of commitment to complying with the 2015 court order.
“It is clear that there is no management plan and frankly no commitment on the part of Makana Municipality to address this dangerous bio-hazard to the general population of Grahamstown,” the notice reads.
“There is clearly no real intent and commitment on the part of your client to comply with a valid court order obtained by agreement.
“We are advised that there is ample photographic evidence of the fire and this can be seen at an inspection in loco, and we further advise that the bulldozer continues to be inoperative, there is no control of access to the dump site etc,” read, the letter.
In the 2015 application by the League for Makana to comply with the Environmental Compliance Notice, actions that were specified included:
• Refurbish the perimeter fence within 60 days of the order.
• Control access to the site within 10 days of the order.
• Develop a waste-screening mechanism.
• Develop a storm water management plan.
• Appoint an independent specialist to review all relevant and available environmental monitoring data.
• Appoint a specialist to monitor the air quality.
• Appoint an independent service provider and specialist to sample and analyse the ground and surface water.
On 23 December 26 stables at the Grahamstown Riding Club were destroyed in a blaze that spread from the adjacent dump in hot weather and strong winds.
Horses were evacuated and Club committee member Adrienne Plasket, who oversees the livery facilities at the club and was on the scene to manage the crisis said besides continued smoke inhalation, no people or animals had been injured in the fire.
In a response yesterday regarding conditions at the landfill site as well as the fire that affected the riding club, Ramokolo confirmed a fire at the landfill site was reported on 17 December.
“It was a controllable fire and the municipality did send people from the fire department to the site. However, it was difficult to access the fire despite the fact that it was under control.
“We therefore had to use a bulldozer to create access to the fire.
“The fire department did eventually manage to put the fire out and the bulldozer was used to cover some of the burning areas,” Ramokolo said. “What remained afterwards was the smouldering.”
Ramokolo said the fire on 23 December spread so rapidly because of strong winds and fire fighters had tried their best with the resources they had.
Sarah Baartman district municipality and Ndlambe were called on to help, but they were already stretched dealing with fires in Koukamma.
“It’s always regrettable but we have tried our level best to control access to the landfill site so that we don’t have people who are going to cause damage there,” Ramokolo said.
“This fire also set us back because fencing poles were burnt, but we are going to re-erect those and then re-do the fence.”
