King William’s Town represents a place seemingly forgotten by the municipality, having become that has become a rubbish dump to its residents, with busy streets strewn with various refuse.
On investigation, the GO! & Express found piles of rubbish on the islands of Cambridge Street. The area includes many businesses and entertainment establishments.
The Victoria Drill Hall in Queens Road was also littered with an assortment of garbage, some piled in the gutters.
Concerned community member Clifford Wooff said he’d noted the problem and often picked litter up himself.
“The biggest concern is the community – because even though there are dirt bins, they continue to litter. The municipality seems to be fighting a losing battle.” Wooff said.
Metro spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said there are scheduled collection dates for garbage in the area.
“The residents are aware of it. However the issue, particularly on streets like Cambridge, is non adherence,” Ngwenya said.
He added that despite letters and awareness drives, the residents still dumped their garbage every day.
“This is a culture that needs to be changed as it counters all the efforts we put in place to keep the area clean,” he said.
The GO! found piles of rubbish in front of the old cemetery entrance and along Aloe Road at the back of Central Primary School.
The GO! saw an assortment of freshly cut tree branches, nappies, rubble and black bags on Aloe Road leading to Pirates Club.
Wooff added that everyone needed to “play their part” in keeping the environment clean.
The metro said the department concerned was “expected to come back this week with solutions on how to turn the identified challenges around, such as like staffing and equipment”.
