DA calls for intervention to prevent illegal dumping in Heilbron

Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Robert Ferendale and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Joseph Mbele.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Heilbron, Ngwathe will formally escalate the ongoing illegal dumping of animal blood and oil at the local quarry by engaging the district health inspector and will write to the municipal manager to secure immediate corrective action and compliance.

I have spent nearly three months investigating the source of the unbearable stench spreading across Heilbron. During this period, I visited the quarry 10 to 15 times per month to determine the cause and extent of the problem. My investigation revealed serious and ongoing non-compliance issues that the municipality has failed to address.

Some of the main non-compliance issues found were:

1. Raw blood dam.
2. Blood dumped by a local abattoir.
3. No chemicals are used to kill germs on this blood.
4. Flies plague.
5. No maintenance from the municipality.
6. Refuse is dumped at the road’s entrance.
7. No fence.
8. People living there in self-made shelters.

Despite repeated calls by the DA for the Municipality to resolve this matter, no meaningful action has been taken. Residents, particularly those in Sandersville, which is adjacent to the quarry, are forced to endure the overwhelming stench daily.

Homes are overrun by flies, making basic activities such as preparing food or enjoying a cup of tea unbearable. Many residents now cook at night to avoid the infestation, highlighting the direct impact of municipal failure on their quality of life.

It has further emerged that a local abattoir allegedly has an agreement with the Municipality to dump blood at the quarry. This raises serious questions about oversight and compliance, as the environmental health and agriculture departments should have ensured that strict measures and regulations were in place. This has clearly not happened.

We have learned that a local abattoir has an agreement with the municipality to dump its blood at the quarry. How can this be? Surely the environmental health department and the agriculture department would have requested that some measures be taken and some compliance regulations be followed.

Our residents can’t live like this. They deserve better. Businesses should not only focus on profits but also consider the health of their residents and comply with relevant regulations.