November 22, 2005
By Anish Abraham
DON'T dump animal carcasses - you are bound to get caught. Culprits found illegally dumping animal carcasses in Region 6 have been brought to book, thanks to vigilant community members and the hard work of the City's environmental health officers.
Community members from Doornkop brought up the matter with authorities after noticing a stench coming from a donga on a piece of former mining land. The vacant land lies along the Westonaria road, heading towards Randfontein.
"We conducted a three-day stakeout at the place together with metro police and the SPCA and caught and fined three people," said Ntombifuthi Shezi, the manager of environmental health in Region 6.
The three-day operation lasted from 16 to 18 November. It was decided to monitor the area first so all parties guilty of dumping could be caught. They would be charged under the Health Act and the City's public health by-laws.
Environmental officers were met with a gruesome find - dead dogs, goats, chickens, offal, cow heads and animal remains littered the plot.
"Normally it is [illegal dumping of] building rubble. This is the first case where we have had so many carcasses being illegally dumped," she said.
According to Francois Kruger, Region 6's operations manager for environmental health, a person who had dumped dog carcasses had been contracted by the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) to dispose of the diseased carcasses by having them incinerated.
He had instead decided to dump the dead dogs on an empty plot of land. The owner of the farm, Zuurbult 240 IQ, has not been identified.
"If it is private land, the council will clean up the area and charge the owners to recover costs," Kruger said.
Health risks
There are no communities close by, but homeless people have tried to salvage some of the meat - it could turn into a deadly meal, however.
Consuming contaminated meat can lead to diarrhoea, intestinal worms or food poisoning and is especially dangerous for the very young or very old.
The more common form of dumping is rubble from building sites. Not that it is any safer - rats take refuge in the rubble, which could lead to a spread of diseases like bubonic plague or rabies.
"That area has a lot of farms where boreholes are used to get water, which could become contaminated. It is a serious concern," Shezi said.
Incineration is the safest way to dispose of animal carcasses, especially diseased ones.
The three-day blitz resulted in the environmental health department issuing nine fines worth R10 000 for illegal dumping and creating a public health hazard.
It is not only animal carcasses that can cause health problems: Kruger said burning insulated copper cable, plastics and tyres released into the air poisonous gasses like nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen monoxide and sulphur dioxide.
Environmental health
Region 6's environmental health unit consists of 13 environmental health officers, three operations managers and one manager. The officers are field workers who are assigned certain wards in which they carry out regular inspections, ensuring by-laws are adhered to.
As they are law officers in their own right, they can issue spot fines and are only accompanied by the city's metro police when their safety is threatened.
The department also conducts regular awareness campaigns, giving presentations to communities, ward committees and schools. It is a move that has paid off.
"There is an increase in the number of people who report illegal dumping. There is also improvement as Pikitup is doing a good job," Shezi said.
Soweto was "one huge dumping site" before the department started its clean up, she added.
The department has identified 27 dumping "hotspots" in the region and is putting up no dumping signs with information on how to report illegal dumping and the consequences of the practice.
It has also learned that a butchery in Region 5 is dumping animal parts and it will apprehend the culprits.
"Our officers are extremely dedicated. They go to the sites very early in the morning or late in the evening as that is when most of the illegal dumping takes place," Kruger concluded.
To report illegal dumping contact Joburg Connect on 011 375 5555.
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