The chief of Tshwane metro police has issued a directive for officers to crack down on any persons found to be dumping illegally.

This comes after Tshwane mayor Randall Williams pleaded with residents to get involved in resolving illegal dumping in Tshwane.

Williams praised the environmental and agriculture management department for its war on illegal dumping, as 2 343 sites have been cleared in just over two months.

“When I re-established the Tshwane service delivery war room in early November 2020, I made it clear that the prevention and clearance of illegal dumping is a priority that will be tracked on the weekly mayoral dashboard to ensure effective service delivery.”

The department responsible for waste management responded swiftly to Williams call and ramped up their efforts to clear the metro of illegal dumping. Waste management teams who had been assigned to clean up illegal dumping were also issued with “No illegal dumping” signs, which were erected after sites have been cleared.

Williams said the signs served as a warning to the public that the municipal by-laws governing illegal dumping would be strictly enforced without fear or favour.

“From the first week of November 2020 up until 19 January 2021, a total of 2 343 illegal dumping sites have been cleared, of which 671 are located at hotspots, where illegal dumping is a recurring phenomenon.

“Multiple fines have been issued in this regard,” Williams said.

The work to apprehend illegal dumpers was supported by waste management officials who had provided a list of all identified illegal dumping hotspots to further improve by-law enforcement and patrolling.

“While the metro makes every effort to scout and clear illegal dumping, we can of course be more effective with the help of the public.”