By Janelle Denae Govender
The people of Chatsworth in Durban say their neighbourhood no longer feels like home. Piles of rubbish are being dumped on vacant land and sidewalks, and residents are fed up with the dirt, the smell, and the health risks.
For months, illegal dumping has turned once-tidy streets into eyesores. Elderly resident Johnson Subramoney says what hurts most is watching the community he grew up in lose its pride.
“They just come with trucks and dump and dump,” Subramoney said. “We are old now; we can’t bear living like this. When we were younger, Chatsworth was clean and safe. Now we can’t even sit outside. The flies, maggots, and rats are everywhere. The smell makes us sick, and there’s nothing we can do.”
Ward councillor Tony Govender has appealed to residents to use proper waste disposal services instead of treating open spaces as rubbish sites. “People are throwing anything and everything into open areas, sidewalks, and verges. We’re pleading with them—please don’t dump.”
The authorities say they are cracking down. eThekwini Municipality law enforcement officer Don Baijnath warned that illegal dumping is a serious offence. “The fine for illegal dumping is R5,000,” he said.
Govender added that stronger action is needed: “Authorities must crack the whip and hold these individuals accountable. The only way forward is through cooperation between communities, municipal officials, and law enforcement.”
But for now, residents say the problem shows no sign of going away, leaving many in Chatsworth waiting anxiously for real and lasting solutions.