27 Aug 2015

Serowe sub-council chairperson, Mr Mpho Kooreme, says illegal dumping of waste in Serowe region still remains a challenge, despite the council’s efforts to sensitise the community against it.

Speaking during a sub-council meeting recently, Mr Kooreme admitted that illegal dumping of refuse in Serowe and peripheral villages was a pressing issue, notwithstanding attempts made by green scorpions and other law enforcements officers on community sensitisation of proper waste management.

He said the issues of inadequate manpower and that of insufficient refuse collection fleet, exacerbated the problem of illegal waste dumping as there was an increase in the generation of waste in the Serowe region. Furthermore, Mr Kooreme decried the calamitous shortage of machinery for rehabilitation of dumping sites as another contributory factor of illegal dumping of waste.

He however noted that refuse collection services in some villages had been fully outsourced to small scale refuse collection contractors including those who use donkey carts for a period of 12 months effective of April 1, 2014 until April 31, 2015. Villages involved according to the chairman included Moiyabana, Thabala, Mogorosi, Mabeleapodi, and Tshimoyapula amongst others.

Places like Paje, Sehunou, and Mabuo were serviced by council, said Mr Kooreme.He however said refuse collection from institutional houses, schools, and the mall area had been outsourced to different large scale refuse collection contractors through tender.

On a different note, the chairperson told councillors that Serowe abattoir was still undergoing major maintenance; hence operations were halted until further notice. “Installation of sterilising equipment is still ongoing and the re-opening of the abattoir is expected to be on the first week of September,” he said. Ends