There is great concern about the terrible condition in which the Heilbron dumping site is, and the risk for people living there only worsens this problem.
The site garnered attention after the municipality seemingly abandoned it and left it unsupervised. Since then it has become a serious health hazard.
Currently, the dumping site poses a significant health risk to the local community, requires a major clean-up, and need effective supervision.
Following a site visit, Robert Ferendale, DA councillor, reported that the access road is so filled with debris that only one vehicle can pass at a time, and the entrance to the quarry is entirely blocked.
“This site, which is left unsupervised by the municipality, is now home to people living in makeshift shelters made of plastic, completely exposed to the toxic environment.
“The area is rife with health hazards, and the residents are at constant risk of illness due to the poor conditions,” he says.
The local municipality is held responsible for the dire circumstances, and Ferendale says the municipality has failed to address these issues or provide basic services to the community, leaving Heilbron residents vulnerable and neglected.
They demand that the municipality ensure proper supervision, a clean-up of the area, and a strategy to address the ongoing health hazards.
“The provision of basic services is a core municipal responsibility, and it is unacceptable that the residents of Heilbron are being left to suffer due to neglect,” Ferendale concludes.
