Gobabis rubbish dump a 'hopeless' case
Residents unhappy with litter situation
"The rubbish dump at Gobabis' lifespan is over. About five years ago, experts from the City of Windhoek visited the site and the conclusion was that the site cannot be rehabilitated."This according to Gobabis municipal spokesperson Frederick Ueitele when asked about the state of the town's rubbish dump.
The residents of Gobabis and especially people who live near the dump are outraged by the state of it and the pollution of the surrounding environment.
"It really is a nightmare. There is no fence around the dump and papers are blowing all over the place," one of the residents living close by said.
Although the rubbish dump is located about a kilometre from the nearest houses, the situation is so out of hand that garbage is already lying as close as 200 meters from these homes.
Ueitele also confirmed they are aware of the illegal squatters currently living on the site.
"The people who live on the site illegally cannot be controlled because they know the municipal officers and always run away when they see us," he said.
Meanwhile, residents say they are afraid to go to the garbage site alone.
"I'm too scared to go there alone. If you stop there, they'll jump on your car and see what they can take," said one woman. "It's on the outskirts of the town and no one will even hear you if you scream," another resident said.
Challenges
According to Ueitele, the municipality's main challenge is a lack of money.
"We don't have the money to fence the site. The municipality's machinery is also too old and cannot keep up with the pressure of so much work. The bulldozer gets hot in a matter of two hours and then cannot continue to work."
He added that they hope money will be available in the next financial year's budget to tackle the issue effectively.
"The municipality is working on a permanent solution by identifying a suitable location for a new rubbish dump and then conducting an environmental impact study.
"The City of Windhoek will then assist us with the expertise in that area. Gobabis is also part of a Namibian Association of Local Government Officials and Professional Development Institute (Nalao) network group on waste management, which will come in handy.
"In the meantime, we are mobilising funds to fence the area to control people's access and prevent the wind from blowing papers around," Ueitele said.
According to community members, crime has increased in the area since the illegal squatters started living at the dumpsite.
"Employees who need to walk to our homes workers who have to walk to us are constantly accosted and their belongings are stolen," said one of the residents.
The municipality did not want to comment on the alleged increase in crime and said it was the police's jurisdiction.
Several residents use the road that passes in front of the garbage dump and are highly dissatisfied with the pollution in the area.
"The flies are everywhere. We are bankrupting ourselves, but nothing helps," said one of the residents. – [email protected]