KZN councillor in hot soup after handing out asbestos sheets
An Msunduzi PR councillor has been served with a notice in terms of the National Health Act and the municipality’s public health and waste management bylaws for allegedly keeping and distributing asbestos.
The PR councillor, who has not been named by the municipality, allegedly stored asbestos waste in his yard and was allegedly giving it away to residents to reuse.
Asbestos is categorised as hazardous waste and cannot be reused.
Msunduzi spokesperson, Ntobeko Mkhize, said the councillor has been directed to safely remove, transport and dispose of the asbestos, with an approved service provider, and produce proof of such disposal.
The complaint has been investigated and a compliance notice has been issued to the owners to remove various waste from the property within specified periods
A reliable source in the environmental unit of the municipality said the reuse of asbestos was not allowed and that it could cause health problems.
Ward 32 councillor, Frederick Middleton, said he was worried the asbestos would end up being used by vulnerable residents who could end up getting sick.
He said when he was made aware of this, he lodged a complaint with the Msunduzi environmental department about a month ago.
The asbestos is being kept in a residential area and across from this property there’s an informal settlement with children … you cannot be seen as an official leader who has taken an oath to uphold city bylaws and then break them. There’s also a voice note going around where he admits he has asbestos sheeting and wants to distribute it for free to residents,” said Middleton.
He added that he would be writing an official complaint to the Msunduzi speaker for an official investigation to be launched.
In the voice note heard by The Witness, a man believed to be the councillor is heard saying he has asbestos sheeting and that he was aware that there was storm damage some time back and that roofs were damaged.
Voicenote
He added that if anyone wanted the sheets, they were welcome to have them for nothing and that he had given the asbestos sheeting to a few people whose houses had been burnt down in Northdale.
A ward committee member in the infrastructure portfolio committee, Llewellyn Carrington, said he was informed that a group of people were delivering asbestos sheeting to the councillor’s house with no personal protective gear.
Carrington said that when he heard that the asbestos had been removed from a school, he went there. “Knowing the dangers of [exposure to] asbestos, I had to verify this with the school. As someone in the infrastructure portfolio, I had to make sure the asbestos was disposed of safely.
The school had paperwork that showed the asbestos sheeting that was stripped from the school roof went to a recognised disposal site. He was not able to ascertain where the asbestos the councillor had came from
“Brandan Wengrow who is also part of the ward committee said he spoke to a doctor who confirmed that asbestos sheeting is very hazardous and could cause lung cancer. He is willing to test residents in ward 32 for free to make sure no one has been affected by the asbestos.”
The councillor was asked to comment but declined to do so
In other news – PICS: Shauwn Mkhize (MaMkhize) allegedly gets a BBL and here’s why
South African businesswoman and reality TV star, Shauwn “MaMkhize” is living her best life, posting up a storm during her luxury vacation in the Maldives. But judging by her pictures, followers are convinced that the Royal AM boss has either had plastic surgery in the form of a Brazilian butt lift (BBL) or has had her Instagram images drastically altered.
The businesswoman and the rest of her family – including son Andile Mpisane – are enjoying a break on the tropical island. Learn More
