AfriForum takes legal steps over poor refuse removal in Bloemfontein
The civil rights watchdog AfriForum’s legal team sent a letter of demand regarding refuse removal to the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality today. This follows in response to the municipality’s continued poor management of this service.
AfriForum encouraged members here last year to submit an application for the cancellation of the metro’s refuse removal service so that they could make use of private service providers instead. Around 700 people submitted this application, but the municipality rejected the applications.
This action has now forced AfriForum to take further legal steps. The metro now has until 5 February to provide valid reasons for the refusal of members’ cancellation applications; otherwise, AfriForum will turn to the court.
“We have no other choice but to take legal steps against the Mangaung Metro. Residents have the right to apply for the cancellation of their municipal refuse collection and have this service removed from their municipal account. Many residents are now tired of bearing double costs just to have their refuse removed promptly and to ensure that their neighbourhood does not turn into a rubbish dump,” says Christo Groenewald, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for Bloemfontein.
According to Groenewald, refuse is only sporadically removed in Bloemfontein, and this, he believes, not only poses an environmental risk but also creates opportunities for so-called bag diggers and animals to tear open the refuse bags and thus spread litter further. It also poses a potential risk for residents in terms of crime.
“We believe that this waste management crisis requires urgent attention and that the metro’s failure to act is unacceptable. In the event of an unsatisfactory answer by 5 February, we are prepared to take legal action in terms of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act. Residents and taxpayers of the Mangaung Metro should be able to choose which services they want to use and deserve a quick and efficient solution to the challenges they are currently experiencing,” emphasises Petrus Coetzee, AfriForum’s Advisor for local government affairs.
Since August 2023, AfriForum has assisted the community in submitting their applications for cancellation. Despite the several letters that AfriForum has already handed over to the Mangaung Metro regarding this matter, no feedback has been received so far.
“We encourage the Bloemfontein community to submit their applications for cancellation and, with our sights on a cleaner and safer Bloemfontein, to join AfriForum’s refuse disposal initiative,” concludes Groenewald.
Follow this link and submit your application today and join AfriForum’s refuse disposal initiative: https://afriforum.co.za/en/what-do-we-do/refuse-removal-2/refuse-removal/.
