 | Businessman caught disposing of asbestos illegally
28 February 2025 | Press Releases |
28 February 2025
Drakenstein Municipality’s battle against perpetrators of illegal disposal of waste is continuing unabatedly. Another transgressor was recently caught in the act – dumping asbestos gutters along Roggeland Road in Paarl.
Asbestos is a hazardous waste type and extremely expensive for the Municipality’s Solid Waste Management division to collect and store until it has sufficient quantities for final, legal disposal at the City of Cape Town’s Vissershok Waste Management Facility.
In this instance the offender was a businessman, who used his company vehicle to transport the asbestos pipes. Following the intervention of a Drakenstein Municipality official, the offender picked up all the dumped material.
Earlier this month another business owner was caught in the act of illegally dumping his waste – this time in Berg River Road in Paarl.
Our Law Enforcement officials intervened, and the business owner removed his rubbish.
These incidents are unfortunately not isolated ones. Just last month in one week three such cases were reported – one at Bainskloof Pass, another at Bo-Dal Road in Paarl and the third at Thusong in Mbekweni. Another perpetrator was heavily fined and received a suspended sentence in the Municipal Court.
In terms of the Municipality’s Bylaw no. 13/2007: The control of waste disposal sites, any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any provision of this bylaw shall be guilty of an offence and liable upon conviction to: (1) a fine or imprisonment, or either such fine or imprisonment or to both such fine and such imprisonment; (2) in the case of a continuing offence, to an additional fine or an additional period of imprisonment or to such additional imprisonment without the option of a fine or to both such additional fine and imprisonment for each day on which such offence is continued; and (3) a further amount equal to any costs and expenses found by the court to have been incurred by the Municipality as result of such contravention or failure.
Drakenstein Municipality appeals to residents to report illegally dumped waste via our SeeClickFix app, or call 021 807 4708 or 080 131 3553 toll free.
