Hope Street an illegal dump

GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - In June 2021, Hope Street residents sent a petition to then-mayor Deon de Vos, as a last resort after numerous requests to the municipality to address the challenges created by the neglect of this area.

One of the issues raised in the petition was illegal dumping occurring at the end of Hope Street. Gaby Cheminais, a Hope Street resident, said the municipality acknowledged receipt of the petition and she has a copy thereof.

While a skip had been requested by one of the Hope Street property owners some years ago, it had become clear that some members of the broader Graaff-Reinet community regard the skip and its surroundings as a municipal dump.

Concerned that the skip encourages the use of the area as a "dump," one of the petition demands was the removal of the skip.

Cheminais says the skip is still there and the whole area surrounding the skip is awash with rubbish.

"The putrid smell of rotting garbage greets you as you enter the area. Flies rise as you tread around the garbage and it is a health risk for the many children who live and play there. And the situation is deteriorating.

"The dumping of rubbish extends to the municipal site on the corner of Hope and North Streets, where dumping of waste in the water furrow has become the norm.

"Apart from the removal of the skip, regular cleaning is required to bring the situation under control. The filth at the end of Hope Street begs many questions."

Graaff-Reinet town centre has evening cleaning crews who ensure that residents awake each morning to a litter-free town. Why is this area of Hope Street not included in the daily clean-up routine, asks Cheminais? "It is a busy area of town, fast becoming a small-business hub, and has been a thoroughfare for people moving in and out of town for many years.

"Alternatively, why is a local Community Works Programme team not allocated to this area? These issues have been raised with the municipality in the past. Requests for bins for litter and signs indicating that dumping is an illegal activity have also fallen on deaf ears," says Cheminais.