Green Scorpions: Honeymoon is over for illegal dumpsters
The Department of Environmental Affairs has warned against waste pollution on the country's shorelines.
An international syndicate is being investigated for illegally dumping containers of waste on South African shorelines - in Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Western Cape.
According to Grand Walters from the Department of Environmental Affairs' Management Inspectorate, known as the Green Scorpions, they have managed to detect 220 containers in Kwa Zulu Natal.
Walters says in the Western Cape they have detected one container that came from Europe and contained plastic waste.
Walters adds that if the suspects are not traced, it does put pressure on the country's economy and taxpayers to fork out up to a million rands for the responsible removal of one container.
"There is quite a big focus area on plastic given the Chinese ban on scrapping plastic imports to China. So, that raises the alarm."
"We repatriated some of that waste or send it back to the country of origin, but when it lands in South Africa and if it's unlawfully disposed of and the suspect is not detected, unfortunately, it becomes a problem of the government and the taxpayer.
"The taxpayer pays a certain amount of money that is paid to remove that risk from the environment and to take it to a site that can accommodate certain waste, "Walters said.