Community wages war against illegal dumpsites in Helenvale

The community of Helenvale is waging war on illegal dumping, with about 100 residents taking to the streets to clean up near Helenvale Primary School — and they are not the only northern areas residents tackling the problem.

On Wednesday, Helenvale Primary School principal Patrick Palmer said he was grateful to community members who cleaned the illegal dumping site outside the school, where rubbish was piling up against the fence.

Helenvale Primary School, which is neat and clean inside, has been battling persistent illegal dumping issues.

Palmer said the sites were an eyesore.

“We’re grateful to the community for cleaning the illegal dumping outside the school.

“We had tried to engage with relevant stakeholders,” he said, adding that councillor Pieter Hermaan had done a great job.

Hermaan had also brought in a number of DA members to assist.

“We have a recycling project in the school which we also use to educate pupils about the different ways they can play their part to take care of their environment,” Palmer said.

Hermaan, the Ward 13 councillor, said three schools had been cleaned in his ward.

They are Gelvandale Senior Secondary, Bayview Primary and Helenvale Primary School, which was cleaned up on Monday.

Hillcrest Primary School would be cleaned next week, he said.

“The issue was that for some time we’d clean the school [but] the next day the community would dump garbage again.

“We had cleaned this area five months ago.

“It is our duty to clean the schools ourselves.

“We partnered with the municipal waste department to help drive a campaign to make community members aware about illegal dumping.

“The awareness campaign will have to be a continuous thing.

“We have to do them consistently, highlighting the negative effect waste has on the environment,” Hermaan said.

HeraldLIVE