Garden waste piles up at Tygerdal as City seeks new contractor

Tygerdal municipal dump next to Monte Vista railway station. Picture: KAREN WATKINS

A keen gardener says he was turned away from Tygerdal municipal dump because he had too much garden waste.

The dump near Monte Vista railway station takes up to three loads of garage waste, builder’s rubble and clean garden waste daily, according to its website.

When John Wilson, of Devil’s Peak, found the dump in Woodstock closed, he went to the Tyderal one on Tuesday July 21 but says he was told he couldn’t drop off a second load because the City hadn’t appointed a new chipping contractor and the dump was filling up with garden waste.  

Mr Wilson said it was odd the City hadn’t asked the previous contractor to stay on in the meantime.

Xanthea Limberg, mayoral committee member for water and waste, said a new chipping contractor would be appointed soon. Garden waste was being stored at the dump until then. Permissible loads had not been reduced and the City would investigate the allegation of people being turned away, she said.

Threats of intensified protest action saw municipal dumps closed and refuse removal suspended on Monday July 27, but the dumps have since reopened, and the garbage trucks are back on the road. 

Goodwood Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association chairman Faizel Petersen said it was unacceptable – especially now during the Covid-19 pandemic – for those whose waste should have been collected on Monday to have to wait for the following Monday for it to happen. Staff should work on Saturday to clear the backlog or the City should credit ratepayers R33.16 for a week of failed waste collection. The City charges R132.61 a month for refuse removal.

Ms Limberg said those who hadn’t had their bins emptied yet should keep them on their properties until the next collection and bag any extra waste that could then be taken out with the bin. Only a small part of the monthly refuse-collection tariff paid for the actual collection, and the costs of landfill disposal and staff expenses remained even if collection was delayed by factors beyond the City’s control, she said. Any budget surplus at the end of the financial year would be ring-fenced to buy new vehicles and improve the service, she added.