MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) - The sight of bags of rubbish outside residences waiting in vain for municipal trucks to remove them is becoming very familiar.

A concerned resident, Ms Melani Coetzee, said that on Friday, April 1, they used their own vehicle to remove the piles of trash collected in front of their business in Krogh Street.

Piles of garbage all over town have been a common occurrence for the past six to eight weeks. In the light of the tummy bug that struck town in March, the seeming inability of the Makhado Municipality to remove refuse on time is seen in a serious light by residents.

The possibility existed that the bug could be Epidemic Enteritis, a bug which can definitely thrive in garbage, especially in town areas during periods with high temperatures. Flies may also play a role in the spreading of the disease.

Residents complained that, apart from the serious health hazard, trash scattered all over town when dogs enjoy themselves with the rubbish bags is not a pretty sight.

“Such an awful place will not draw any investors. No one will want to come and stay here,” one resident remarked. The fact that residents pay for services that are not rendered regularly and properly was also mentioned.

The Makhado Municipality’s Director of Community Services, Mr Mavhungu Musitha apologized on Tuesday for inconveniencing residents.

“We regret and apologize that our customers are not getting value for their money. We hope the situation will be back to normal soon,” Mr Musitha said. He said, however, that he could not say when “soon” would be. He confirmed that the problem had been ongoing for some two months.

According to the municipality, the main cause of the problem is the unavailability of trucks.

“We have only one truck at the moment which is responsible for collecting refuse in town and also outside in Sinthumule and Kutama,” Mr Musitha said. The other two trucks are at the municipal workshop for repairs. Three tractors are currently being used to relieve the situation.

Mr Musitha said that he could not answer the question as to why the two trucks were not repaired before they broke down completely because that did not fall under his department.