In West Cape News, Peter Luhanga reported on 27 November that violence erupted between the informal reclaimers resident at the Frankdale informal settlement and the security guards employed at Vissershok landfill. The settlement is adjacent to the landfill site and in an attempt to keep informal reclaimers off the site, security guards were appointed on the perimeter. Luhanga reports that this “upset residents of the adjacent Frankdale informal settlement as they are prevented from accessing their source of food and livelihood. As result, the residents clashed with security guards last week and engaged in protests by burning tyres on the access road to the site.”

The City suspended the dumping of waste from households, “including off-spec foodstuffs from food manufacturers as well as food stuffs from supermarkets”, said Mayoral Committee Member for Utility Services Shehaam Sims. Sims’s executive support officer, Heinrich Heymann said people “forced” their way onto the site on November 15, following which the city “closed it”. It was reopened on the 21stand people tried to force their way in, he said, resulting it being closed again. Additional security was then provided and it was reopened to receive general waste on 27 November.

According to Luhanga however, the residents says that “security guards were collecting dumped food past its expiry date and then selling it for R10 a tray.” The author continued by stating that Sims said it was extremely dangerous to invade a landfill site because of the hazard posed by contaminated food, as well as the heavy machinery moving on uneven terrain where the operator had a limited view of their immediate surroundings. This made it “very dangerous” for anyone near the disposal operations, said Sims.

She said the safety and security of the landfill had been re-established with the assistance of the City’s Law Enforcement and Security Services contingents.

Informal reclaimers remain a great challenge to all landfill sites across the country. Impoverished people eke out a living by collecting recyclables and food from landfills, and many times, while heavy compactors are at work. Injury and the risk of infection are great for these people but they take the risk nonetheless, driven by the need for an income. Readers interested in reading the full article should log on to the link below.

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