The City of Cape Town is happy to announce that the Solid Waste By-law Enforcement Unit has issued a total of 1 405 fines this year, with a total value of R1,3 million. With better cooperation from residents, however, we can do so much more.

The Urban Waste Management Directorate’s Solid Waste By-law Enforcement Unit deals specifically with contraventions of the Integrated Waste Management By-law. Its main focus areas are littering, dumping, and ensuring that businesses have waste management plans in place. The unit also assists with awareness and education in communities where dumping has become endemic.

There is however potential to do more if residents can work more closely with the City to apprehend those who are degrading our communities. Applying penalties for littering/dumping relies on evidence, which can be tricky unless you catch the offence in progress. The City cannot have eyes on every street corner, but if residents can help us by recording evidence (i.e. taking pictures/videos) we can ensure that the guilty parties face consequences.

The penalties for illegal dumping include fines ranging from R500 to R5 000, or impoundment of the vehicle involved. If a vehicle is impounded due to dumping there is a fee of R9 158.10 to release it.

Apart from responding to resident complaints/reports, officers perform random inspections at dumping hotspots and in CBD areas. Spot checks are also done at businesses to ensure contracts are in place for waste management. Officers are deployed seven days per week.

‘I want to encourage communities that are struggling with illegal dumping to please work with the City’s Solid Waste By-Law Enforcement Unit to address this problem. This year over R300 million from City resources was allocated to clear illegal dumping. This money could be used for something more constructive if people rather made use of drop-off sites.

‘Illegal dumping can depress property values and attract crime and grime to an area. Don’t let those who use your community as a dumping ground get away with it. Please take pictures and submit them via the contact details below so we can ensure the guilty parties think twice before dumping again,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Alderman Grant Twigg.

Residents are reminded that there is a network of drop-off sites throughout the City where vehicles with a carrying capacity of less than 1,5 tonnes can drop up to three loads of builders’ rubble per day for free. There is also a reliable weekly refuse collection service operating throughout the City, except for unregistered/unrecognised informal settlements that have been established during the ongoing spate of land invasions. Settlements must be registered by Human Settlements before budget can be assigned for services.

To report illegal dumping, if you have the culprit's vehicle registration number and/or can identify him/her please contact the following channels.

Source: City of Cape Town