Sies! Outrage grows over dumping crisis

ILLEGAL dumping in Galeshewe, the CBD, and suburbs has reached a boiling point, with Kimberley residents, activists, and even some municipal officials raising the alarm over growing health and safety risks in the community.

- DANIE VAN DER LITH

What started as an issue of unsightly litter has now escalated into a broader social and environmental crisis, one that many say reflects both neglect and deep disrespect for the workers trying to clean up the mess.

On any given day, heaps of household waste, rotting food, construction rubble, and discarded furniture can be seen littering sidewalks, open spaces, and even residential streets. Community members say the situation has spiralled out of control, especially near popular dumping hot spots that now attract waste scavengers and pose serious risks to public health.

"We are tired," one resident told the DFA. "Every time we clean, it gets worse the next day. There are scavengers pulling trash out of the bins and spreading it all over. It's dangerous - especially for our children who play nearby."

Behind the trash, however, are also stories of workers, mostly women employed through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), who face daily abuse, disrespect, and overwhelming volumes of rubbish.

In a scathing public statement titled "Enough is Enough - Respect Our Environment and Our EPWP Workers", Gregory Nyongane from the Let's Talk, Men Movement condemned the community's failure to act.

"What is unfolding in Galeshewe and Kimberley as a whole is not just environmental neglect.

"It is a moral crisis, a community failure, and a disgrace that we can no longer turn a blind eye to," Nyongane said.

He expressed outrage at how EPWP workers are being treated: "Their job is to supplement municipal services, not to babysit a careless community."

He noted that the daily routine of some residents involves throwing rubbish onto open land, knowing someone else will be forced to clean it up.

Nyongane's call to action includes five specific demands:

1. An immediate stop to illegal dumping across Galeshewe and Kimberley.

2. Respect and protection for EPWP workers.