Makubalo Sifiso
68486308
GGH3708
Assignment 4
641337
Illegal Dumping and Littering in the Durban CBD.
The Durban CBD is facing a huge environmental problem which is illegal dumping and littering. Illegal
dumping and littering are described as forms of waste and behavioural issue where people without
thinking of the consequences dispose items on the streets or throw things of vehicles windows. (State of
Queensland, 2013). The Durban CBD looks dirty and unattractive due to people littering anywhere and
anyhow. This isn’t just happening in the Durban CBD but spreading to the townships around Durban.
People use neglected places like parks as their dumping sites and its becoming difficult for the
EThekwini Municipality to manage waste due to rapid population growth.
The illegal dumping and littering is caused by different factors. The first factor is the lack of involvement
of citizens and businesses in keeping the city clean. The town is crowded by informal traders who refuse
to use bins for disposing wastes. Some traders for example those selling fruits and vegetables throw
their rotten stock everywhere. Business owners are doing nothing to ensure that their customers are
not littering. Some businesses in town do not even have bins in their working places.Bus ranks and taxi
ranks are dirty and surrounded by waste and the people doing business in those areas do nothing in
making sure that their working places are clean. Homeless people in the Durban CBD are also part of
littering and illegal dumping. They go around collecting things from different factories all over Durban
and go dump them in any places for example under bridges and railways. Another factor influencing
littering and illegal dumping in the city is the lack of leadership and governance(Mabaso and Chili, 2006).
The town lacks dustbins hence people throw waste anywhere. In some streets dustbins are not collected
by the DSW. Sometimes dustbins are not collected for days due to EThekwini Municipal workers striking.
As a local citizen residing in the CBD its very difficult and disturbing being in an unattractive
environment. The place is dirty and it becomes worst in the afternoons. The place smells horrible and it
affects everybody in the city.
Littering could also cause accidents on the roads and also pose serious environmental health
issues.People in the city throw face masks anywhere and that can cause the spread of covid 19. Illegal
dumping and littering does not only affect locals but also affects the environment. The waste clogs up
storm water drains and it is washed into the rivers and oceans and cause danger to marine life.
I personally can do something about this environmental problem. The first step is not litter. The second
initiative would be educating the people around or close to me about the dangers of littering. I also
think the municipality can also do something about this problem. According to Govender and Reddy
(2020) Increased resources dedicated to waste management and enforcement can help in controlling
illegal dumping and littering.
References
•
Govender, N. and Reddy, P., 2020. An evaluation of eThekwini Municipality’s regeneration
programmes on littering and dumping. African Evaluation Journal, 8(1).
•
Simon Chili, N. and Lindokuhle Mabaso, S., 2016. The challenges of developing small tourism
enterprises in townships: case of Umlazi, South Africa. Problems and Perspectives in
Management, 14(1), pp.201-205.
·https://www.iol.co.za/amp/dailynews/news/ethekwini-municipality-struggling-to-keep-the-city-cleanas-litter-clogs-it-up-cde01619-3ae9-49a9-bb2a-e41cffccf51e