Tonjeni Street in Zwide township was once an envied place to stay but, these days, it is a shadow of its former self.
With a dilapidated building – where a once successful supermarket stood – the streets are strewn with litter – thanks to an informal dumpsite.
Just a stone’s throw away from the dilapidated house stands a face-brick home where elderly couple Fezile and Nomsa Fusa live.
“It’s bad. It’s unhygienic to live here but where else can we go? Fezile, 68, said.
“We no longer enjoy the tranquility we once had.
“The stench is unbearable. Its effect can be felt right inside the house. It’s a health hazard,”
The municipality confirmed last week that the spot where people were dumping all manner of rubbish was not a formal dumping site and that awareness campaigns were ongoing to advise residents not to dump illegally.
To add insult to injury, Fezile said a municipal vehicle trying to clear the rubble knocked down a boundary wall of their property – exposing them not only to rubbish but also criminal elements.
The couple said no-one wanted to take responsibility for the wall that had been knocked down.
Tonjeni Road is in Ward 20, where Bongo Nombiba is the councillor.
A disillusioned Nomsa, 64, said she and her husband felt hard done by.
The issue of dumping at her property, she said, was raised during a community meeting recently and residents committed to refrain from illegal dumping
“But they continue to do it.
“If I try to persuade them not to dump here they often swear at me, saying why did I not prevent the first person who started it?
“We are at our wits’ end. We need help. People must find an alternative dumping site.
“They even burn rubbish and the smoke goes right inside the house,” she said.
Municipal spokesperson Mthubanzi Mniki said the area supervisor had reported the incident and the dumpsite was cleared every two weeks.
“The municipality also urges residents to identify and report culprits.
“They can use the service delivery 24-hour number 0800205050.
“Their identity will be protected,” he said.
With regard to the boundary wall, Mniki shifted the blame to a service provider.
He said if there was wrongdoing, the service provider would be liable for any damages incurred and would have to make the necessary arrangements with the Fusa family.
The municipality would, however, investigate, he said.
The Fusa couple built their home a few years ago but only moved in in 2016 with the hope of retiring peacefully.
“This used to be a very quiet and neat area but today it’s very dirty and stinks. Sometime I wonder if people associate democracy with this rubbish,” Nomsa said.