Ward 32 councillor Marius de Vos has called the findings of the Gauteng City Region Observatory Quality of Life (QoL) Survey 2017/2018 a joke.
This is after the survey voted the City of Ekurhuleni as the best performing metro in Gauteng.
“Boksburg CBD is a dumping site, thus my case in point,” said de Vos.
The Advertiser also reported on the masses of vagrants in the area.
De Vos said illegal dumping is an issue especially in the Boksburg CBD along Leeuwpoort and Market streets.
“I have brought the issue, which even takes place in a parking lot, to the attention of the metro’s waste management a month ago,” said de Vos.
“I was told the local depot has refused to clean or clear the illegal dump due to human faeces and a urine smell.
“The illegal dumping in the parking lot in Leeuwpoort Street has become a health hazard.”
He said the Boksburg CBD is not just covered in a blanket of litter, but also a hotspot for vagrants to set up camp and sleep in any given spot.
“They use the sidewalk as bathrooms and leave litter where they go. The Boksburg North post office has also become a vagrant home.”
EMPD response
EMPD spokesperson Wilfred Kgasago said in the interim the EMPD will monitor the situation in the CBD. Kgasago shared a response from Solid Waste manager Boksburg Anina van Wyk in regards to the Advertiser’s inquiry about the state of the CBD and the vagrants.
Van Wyk mentioned the various vacant lots throughout the Boksburg CBD indeed causes the City of Ekurhuleni headaches as these areas are targeted by vagrants, informal recyclers and are also frequently used to dump excess refuse/rubble illegally.
“The responsibility of waste management is to render litter picking and street sweeping services along the pavements.
“There are other departments on the structure of the City of Ekurhuleni that is responsible for the maintenance of council-owned properties (vacant and built-up), these departments need to become actively involved in addressing this challenge and fulfilling their mandate,” said van Wyk.
Van Wyk said the Boksburg CBD is cleaned regularly but as result of the ill-discipline of the inhabitants in the immediate vicinity, returns to a state of disarray within a day or two.
“It must be noted that the cleanliness of the city is not the sole responsibility of Council, but each and every resident and business have a civic responsibility toward the cleanliness of the environment we live in.
“All residents/businesses are called upon not to litter, not to dump refuse illegally and to place out refuse only on the day of refuse removal,” said van Wyk.
Drain covers
Stormwater drain covers are also disappearing across Ward 32.
De Vos said some of these drains are right on the road surface and is posing life-threatening conditions for both motorists and pedestrians.
“Vagrants are stealing these covers to sell to scrap metal dealers. I have repeatedly reported missing drain covers to the Roads and Stormwater Department.”
He said the stormwater drains reported last month have not been replaced or at least cordoned off to alert road users of the dangers.
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