By Mduduzi Mabuza
Illegal trash dumbing in the town centre of Buhleni is a health hazard to people and animals. Buhleni is the small town in the northen Hhohho in Eswatini. The illegal dumping site is just in the town centre next to the Brusrank. Sandile Jele, a media personnel in Eswatini Environment Authority strongly condemned such behavior of illegal dumping since there is a truck that is supposed to collect the trash to the official dumping site which is few kilometers from the town. He also encouraged people to use the nearby dustbin. One of the biggest risks illegal dumping poses to humans is diseases such as cholera and malaria. Sites where trash is just sitting out are a breeding ground for insects like mosquitoes and flies, but also for animals that carry diseases like rats, skunks and opossums. Insects like flies and mosquitoes may find their breeding ground on the dumpsite. A few of the life-threatening diseases these insects and animals can bring include dengue fever, yellow fever, encephalitis and malaria. If a potential buyer comes to a city and is bombarded with bad smells due to an illegal dump site and can’t drive down a street without seeing trash in vacant lots or sitting on the curb, they’re more likely to tell others that the area isn’t where they want to visit or live. And when properties don’t sell, the market in the area as a whole will decrease.
