The City broke its own laws by letting road contractors dump about five tons of milled asphalt on an environmentally protected Rondebosch field, says a civic group

Three trucks dumped the rubble on the field on the corner of Kromboom Road and Seventh Avenue, Rondebosch East, on Sunday.

Civic Association of Rondebosch East (Care) chairperson Rashard Davids said residents had confronted the trucks, but they had been told that the City had given authorisation for the loads to be dumped at that location.

Mayoral committee member for urban mobility Rob Quintas said the City was busy with a road resurfacing project along Milner and Kromboom roads in Rondebosch, and the work was being done at night to “minimise inconvenience to road users”.

The City’s human settlements department had given its roads department the go-ahead to temporarily stockpile the milled material from the construction site on the corner of Kromboom Road and Seventh Avenue as the ultimate destination for it was not open at night, he said.

The project team had confirmed that the material would be moved by the end of the week, if all went to plan, he said.

Ward 60 councillor Mark Kleinschmidt said the dumping was temporary. “Permission was requested and granted,” he said.

The road resurfacing is taking place in Ward 58, and the councillor there, Dr Richard Hill, said he was relieved the milled asphalt would be removed.

Mr Davids said the City was breaking its own laws.

“They are dumping street tar on a protected biodiversity area as defined by them and according to their legislation,” he said.

Any member of the public caught doing that would be fined without a delay, he said.

Mr Davids said the dumping threatened the natural habitat, including fynbos, and he questioned why the City could not dump closer to where the work was being done.

“We have no option now but to lay a charge at the police for wilful desecration of a protected area in terms of the National Environment and Management Act,” he said.

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City broke own laws with tar dumping - civic