Kenville residents face health crisis from illegal dumpsite fire

Teams from the eThekwini Municipality are working jointly to mitigate the impact of smoke currently emitted from an illegal dumpsite in Kenville, on Thursday.

This comes after a fire that broke out in mid-June 2025, which has resulted in ongoing smouldering at the site. The municipal Emergency Services, Environmental Health Practitioners, and Air Quality Specialists are working around the clock to alleviate the impact of pollution and restore air quality in the affected areas as swiftly as possible.

The smoke is allegedly affecting several suburbs surrounding Kenville, including Sea Cow Lake, Effingham Heights, Avoca, Greenwood Park and parts of Riverside in Durban North.

On Monday, Andrew Akkers, the ward 34 councillor, wrote to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) stating in his letter that this was a violation of environmental and health rights.

Akkers said that he was receiving complaints from residents, who lodged formal complaints via various avenues. Akkers believes that this constituted a violation of constitutional rights and further stated that illegal dumping has taken place on the site for over ten years.

“The site is adjacent to a D’Moss conservancy, and dumping has now partially covered protected and ecologically sensitive land. The underground fire began early June 2025 and continues to emit hazardous smoke and fumes, affecting residents' health, safety and quality of life,” he said.

Akkers said despite the efforts of multiple departments within the municipality he had received the following responses to his query:

• The fire cannot be flooded due to the risk of landslides or mudslides
• It cannot be excavated for fear of collapse or slides
• It cannot be smothered with other retardants due to inaccessible depths (the landfill is estimated to be 17 meters high)
• The terrain poses a danger to firefighters.

“The consequence is that no authority is taking responsibility and the community continues to suffer. Children, elderly people and those with existing respiratory conditions are suffering the worst effects of air pollution caused by the fire. Local general practitioners have voiced concerns about the increase in respiratory illnesses and other fume-related illnesses they are seeing daily,” Akkers stated in his letter to the SAHRC.

Akkers claimed that the residents were never consulted or warned about the extent of the environmental risk, despite years of municipal knowledge of the dumping activity.

He hoped that the commission would intervene in this matter to safeguard the rights and dignity of affected communities. On Wednesday, in a response from the SAHRC to Akkers, Maria Mnyakeni of the KZN Provincial Office, said they will assess the complaint to determine:

• Whether it falls within the mandate of SAHRC, or
• Whether it should be dealt with by another organisation, institution, or statutory body, or an institution created by the constitution or any applicable legislation

The municipality added that eThekwini Fire and Emergency Services are actively on-site, working to contain the situation.

In the interim, as a precautionary measure, the municipality requested residents to:

• Keep windows and doors closed
• Cover air vents with damp cloths to limit indoor smoke exposure
• and limit outdoor activities until smoke levels subside.

"Please note that smoke levels may fluctuate during the day. Residents are encouraged to wait for improved air quality before engaging in outdoor activities. When conditions improve, homes should be aired out to help reduce indoor pollution," the municipality advised. 

Residents who wish to report air pollution are encouraged to contact the Health Unit Complaints Line on 031 311 3555.

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za