Pollution on the daily irks business owners

Business owners in Ennis Street are having a hard time with pollution of all kinds right on their shopfront’s doorsteps. Near-daily gatherings of individuals in this area cause the roadway, sidewalks and parking areas of surrounding businesses to become the ultimate party site. Large pile of glass bottles have been spotted on the sidewalk, with the refuse bin, ironically, being nearly empty. The roadway, sidewalks and parking area of the surrounding businesses are littered with a myriad of empty liquor bottles, food containers and shards of glass from bottles being shattered in drunken stupor.

“It’s really troubling to see that this issue is ongoing, with no reprieve from authorities or law enforcement. My shopfront and parking area is littered daily with bottles, glass shards, other refuse, and even human feaces. I have to clean this area, and I don’t even sell liquor,” an irate business owner told the Tribune. “I’m not the only one. Look at the entire area here. It’s unacceptable. My customers have to drive on eggs when visiting my shop to avoid the shards of glass slicing their tyres. It’s making everything more difficult than it needs to be. And it’s not just here. Look around Ermelo, there’s refuse lining every street.”

While on scene, the Tribune noticed two municipal employees gingerly cleaning the shard-strewn road, and picking up a large amount of liquor bottles lining the street and sidewalk. An enquiry will be sent to Msukaligwa Local Municipality, and the response published in the next publication. See more photos on our Facebook page, Tribune Ermelo.