Louis Trichardt is renowned for its continued sewerage problems and the real threat this pollution holds with regard to the region’s scarce water resources.

Residents are quick to blame the local municipality for failing to maintain the sewage system and also quick to point fingers at the municipality with regard to refuse removal which, if not done frequently, poses serious health risks. The country and the Soutpansberg region are definitely not immune to diseases as was very evident earlier this year with the spill-over of the cholera outbreak from neighbouring Zimbabwe.

But while it is easy to blame the municipality, it is important to realise that, in many cases, the municipality is expected to manage problems caused by the residents themselves. This is especially the case with residents using parks, public open spaces and road-side stops to dump their garden and household rubbish illegally. Over the last couple of years, this problem has been escalating and it is obvious the authorities are fighting a losing battle.

At present, large-scale illegal dumping is taking place all over Louis Trichardt. Prime examples of this are visible at the dam at the bottom of Ruh Street in the indigenous tree park. Heaps of household and garden refuse are continuously being dumped illegally along the dam wall. More and more people are also dumping their refuse along the gravel road adjacent to Ridgeway College in Leeu Street.

The refuse pollution is, however, not limited to the town area alone. Almost on every road around town the problem is evident. At the stopping area on top of Otto’s Hoogte along the Vivo Road, one only has to walk a couple of metres to find a large dumping site of stripped copper wire cables, baby nappies and trash. Storm water drainage pipes underneath roads are also a popular dumping site, while some people just dump their rubbish where they stop.

Earlier this year, an article appeared in the Zoutpansberger highlighting the problem. At that stage, municipal spokesperson Mr Louis Bobodi urged members of the public to report perpetrators to the municipality or traffic department, so that they can be prosecuted. He also urged members of the public to take down the details of offenders such as their vehicle registration numbers, date and time of offence.

Sadly, it looks like the perpetrators paid little attention to the warning.