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Illegal dumping concerns Keetmanshoop

2017-04-06  Staff Report 2

Illegal dumping concerns Keetmanshoop
Matheus Hamutenya Keetmanshoop Despite several efforts and interventions by the Keetmanshoop Municipality to keep the town clean, residents have done little to ensure the town remains free of dirt. This is according to the municipality’s spokesperson Dawn Kruger, who says despite launching a clean-up campaign and several programmes aimed at sensitising residents on cleanliness, all efforts appear to be in vain in that the response from residents has not been positive. Last year the municipality launched clean-up campaigns and cleaned up different areas around the town on several occasions, while a municipal cleaning team was dispatched to focus on cleaning up the informal settlements weekly but Kruger said all these efforts have not yielded the expected results. “Illegal dumping is still a problem – we have put up signs to warn residents; we do radio shows to inform them, we ask them to report any cases of illegal dumping, but this has not been successful so far,” she said. One of the main challenges in curbing illegal dumping is to positively identify the culprits, she said, adding that despite getting complaints from residents on illegal dumping in their respective areas, the culprits get away without being fined because they have not been positively identified. She explained that in cases where culprits are positively identified, which is very rare, a fine is issued which is paid as part of the municipal bill. Kruger stressed the need to keep the town clean, saying it is not only healthy to stay in a clean environment but it can also attract tourists and investors to the town, which can lead to job opportunities for residents. She urged residents to refrain from illegal dumping and rather to use use the municipal skips placed at designated areas around the town and dustbins to dispose of their waste. “People should buy municipal bins to throw away their rubbish, and rubble should be taken to the dumpsite – it’s open 24 hours, but some people throw their waste outside the dumpsite which is also not good.”
2017-04-06  Staff Report 2

Tags: Khomas
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