The pleas for help from a Hennenman farmer to stop illegal dumping on his farm have been falling on deaf ears at the Matjhabeng Municipality since 2020.
Khotso Mabaso has already suffered severe damage and loss of stock due to illegal dumping.
The farm Le Souvernir is situated next to the road that leads to the Hennenman dumping ground, and the entrance to his farm is 100 m up this access road.
The farm is located directly next to the landfill site and sewage treatment plant. Refuse is piled at the entrance to the farm and the road going to the landfill site, and the site is often inaccessible to people looking to dispose of their waste.
A contractor was appointed to address the situation, but when Vistavisited the farm on Friday (10/03), the road was still engulfed in illegal waste and rubble.
“There have already been three fires on my farm that emanated from the fires on the landfill site,” says Mabaso.
He says the fires destroyed infrastructure, as well as stretches of grazing and crop fields.
“I also lost five bonsmara cattle due to them consuming plastic that the wind blew from the tip. I am compelled to use only half of the farm to avoid the cattle from consuming more plastic,” says Mabaso.
“I lodged a liability claim against the municipality, but they eventually only paid me a fraction of the claim I lodged. Initially, the department responsible for the landfill site failed to hand in the report to the municipality’s insurance company.”
