The Northern Landfill Site in the city has for the last eight years been a big concern for a local ward councillor, who has been on the frontline of the closure and rehabilitation of the landfill site which has had a severe impact on residents in the area.
Selmé Pretorius from Ward 44 told the publication that frequent fires and constant pollution plague residents, property owners and business owners. Which in turn has had an “impact on their health, quality of life and livelihoods. It also has a serious impact on property values in the area,” she said.
Bloemfontein Courant has been following the progress of the site’s closure since a petition was made available for residents around the area or city to submit comments towards the closure. Speaking on the progress since then, Pretorius mentioned that there have been a number of motions and petitions submitted since June last year.
“I have also made sure that the requests are well documented on every Integrated Development Plan (IDP). There is currently R83 million included in the latest IDP for closing and rehabilitation for the next three years. As well as an additional R23 million for a new site. The amounts included in the IDP and proposed budget are definitely big steps in the right direction,” she said.
As the colder season is upon us, talks about the ‘dark cloud’ (smoke) are returning. Pretorius remains concerned about the air pollution and how it will affect residents. “Pollution is not only caused by frequent fires but also toxic gasses and fumes that are emitted from the site … This is a major concern.”
The publication visited the site to check on the progress since the last visit late last year, and some of the trash has been moved and cleared since. The amount of trash at the entrance of the landfill site has indeed been cleared over time.
Bloemfontein Courant reached out to the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality to find out what the progress is so far but did not receive comment in time for print.
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