It was amid resounding local community protest and condemnation that the criminal matter against EnviroServ, its directors, Consultant and Shongweni dump manager, was adjourned to trial on the 13th to 24th of July 2020.
As suspected would be the case, corrupt Ethekwini agreed to adjourn the Constitutional challenge case scheduled to be heard on the 15th of November 2019. The Community has not changed its mind on acquiescing in this further delay tactic, which no doubt will be used to delay the start of the trial next year even though a date has been set.
UHA has still not been approached for any input on a possible plea agreement so one can accept, especially given today’s adjournment of the criminal matter to trial, that EnviroServ and its directors will never do the honourable thing and accept responsibility, willingly, for the pollution caused. Instead they will next year explain to the Criminal Court why, despite their years in the waste business, they were the company and directors which could not run a hazardous landfill correctly, why the Minister and her waste management regulations confused them so, resulting in the pollution they caused – this must have been the mystery polluter’s problem as well. Perhaps if the mystery polluter is ever unmasked by EnviroServ we can ask it.
