Swakop dump pollutes the desert

DESPITE a three-year contract awarded to a Windhoek waste-management company, Enviro Fill Namibia, last month to manage Swakopmund’s rubbish dump, plastic is still being scattered far into the surrounding environment by the wind.

If it’s not the east wind blowing plastic bags into the town’s northern suburbs, where they get stuck in fences and trees, then it’s tonnes of plastic and paper being blown into the once pristine desert by the prevailing southwesterly wind. The Swakopmund Municipality moved its original dump a few kilometres to the north in 2006, but lacks proper facilities to process and contain the waste.Envio Fill Namibia Executive Director Samson Kahas promised to invest in multimillion-dollar infrastructure and “good organisation”.Yet nothing has changed, according to Denham Craig, a resident of Swakopmund.”I went out to the dump on Sunday afternoon, and what I saw was horrible, and a shame to think what we’re doing to our environment because of poor management,” he told The Namibian.”There was plastic as far as the eye could see, which was blown from the dump by the southwester.”He said after the municipality responded to complaints by appointing a private entrepreneur to take control of the rubbish dump, residents decided to adopt a “wait and see attitude”.”We’re still waiting, and nothing seems to have changed,” he said.”Who’s going to clean this up – someone’s going to have to take responsibility for it.”The acting manager of the municipality’s health department, Lydia Mutendo, told The Namibian that Enviro Fill is “working on it”, and that the company will be responsible for containing and cleaning up the rubbish.”Go and see for yourself.I’m sure the mess described by this resident has mostly been cleared,” she said yesterday.Kaulinge said he was informed on Monday about the strong winds and the mess they had created, but added that he was also informed that a team went out to pick up the rubbish.When The Namibian visited the dumpsite yesterday, it was in fact neater and more organised than it was a few months ago, but the plastic and paper bags blown inland were still an eyesore.Petrus Heitanda, a member of the “dump committee” who has been foraging in Swakopmund’s rubbish dumps for the past 18 years – and who is now employed by Enviro Fill Namibia – told The Namibian that the problem of rubbish being blown into the desert was far more extensive than meets the eye.”You will find these bags and papers all over the desert until Arandis (70 km from Swakopmund), and it’s not just now, it’s been going on like this for many years,” he said.According to him, the only solution would be for the municipality to employ about 30 dump foragers to clean the mess on a daily basis.He urged the municipality to work out a plan with Enviro Fill Namibia that would be beneficial to all.”We have the people here who will be more than willing to work for a few dollars and help clean up the environment, from Swakop to Arandis.That will be the only solution, and it will help some of these very poor people earn a small income,” he said.The Swakopmund Municipality moved its original dump a few kilometres to the north in 2006, but lacks proper facilities to process and contain the waste.Envio Fill Namibia Executive Director Samson Kahas promised to invest in multimillion-dollar infrastructure and “good organisation”.Yet nothing has changed, according to Denham Craig, a resident of Swakopmund.”I went out to the dump on Sunday afternoon, and what I saw was horrible, and a shame to think what we’re doing to our environment because of poor management,” he told The Namibian.”There was plastic as far as the eye could see, which was blown from the dump by the southwester.”He said after the municipality responded to complaints by appointing a private entrepreneur to take control of the rubbish dump, residents decided to adopt a “wait and see attitude”.”We’re still waiting, and nothing seems to have changed,” he said.”Who’s going to clean this up – someone’s going to have to take responsibility for it.”The acting manager of the municipality’s health department, Lydia Mutendo, told The Namibian that Enviro Fill is “working on it”, and that the company will be responsible for containing and cleaning up the rubbish.”Go and see for yourself.I’m sure the mess described by this resident has mostly been cleared,” she said yesterday.Kaulinge said he was informed on Monday about the strong winds and the mess they had created, but added that he was also informed that a team went out to pick up the rubbish.When The Namibian visited the dumpsite yesterday, it was in fact neater and more organised than it was a few months ago, but the plastic and paper bags blown inland were still an eyesore.Petrus Heitanda, a member of the “dump committee” who has been foraging in Swakopmund’s rubbish dumps for the past 18 years – and who is now employed by Enviro Fill Namibia – told The Namibian that the problem of rubbish being blown into the desert was far more extensive than meets the eye.”You will find these bags and papers all over the desert until Arandis (70 km from Swakopmund), and it’s not just now, it’s been going on like this for many years,” he said.According to him, the only solution would be for the municipality to employ about 30 dump foragers to clean the mess on a daily basis.He urged the municipality to work out a plan with Enviro Fill Namibia that would be beneficial to all.”We have the people here who will be more than willing to work for a few dollars and help clean up the environment, from Swakop to Arandis.That will be the only solution, and it will help some of these very poor people earn a small income,” he said.