The Tribune

Residents smoked out again by toxic fumes from the blazing city dump have had enough of empty promises, Malcolm J Strachan says . . .

Last night, Bahamians had to evacuate their homes in Jubilee Gardens and the surrounding areas to escape the smoke from a massive fire at the city dump.

They left behind all their belongings to seek refuge at a hotel, the emergency shelter at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium or moved in with friends and family. This morning, they hope to return to find their homes still standing and not the remains of a burnt out shell.

It is a disgrace that in 2017, the poor management of the national dump can have such an impact on hardworking Bahamians who live near that facility.

For years, spanning both Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and Free National Movement administrations, the question of what to do about the city dump has gone unanswered.

Yes, both parties have made grand pronouncements, but what has actually happened to remediate this horrendous problem? Nothing.

So yesterday’s fire comes at a time when we, as citizens, must not let this opportunity pass without demanding more of our government to put steps into place to fix the problem.

For the moment, the PLP leads our government, and they are in the hot seat. The time for action is now - and we cannot kick this particular can down the road anymore.

By all accounts the fire yesterday at the dump is the worst one we have had in recent memory. Homes have been lost, and residents have once again been exposed to toxic fumes as gusting, high winds whipped clouds of smoke across New Providence.

Children and elderly in the area have complained of chronic respiratory problems for years. Residents of the area and surrounding communities have written letters, complained to their MPs, the Prime Minister, marched and demonstrated to no avail.

So the question is - what do you do next?

You raise hell, that’s what.

Last night a video was making the rounds on Facebook of a woman from Jubilee Gardens expressing her frustration at calling for fire services to come and assist them, only to be told that only two firetrucks were available. To the credit of the fire services, she did not know that there were at least two other blazes that they were fighting, but the woman was frustrated. When the cameras arrived, with the Prime Minister in tow, she could be heard exclaiming, “What is he here for? My neighbour’s house is on fire. This is ridiculous!”

Bahamians are frustrated. They see their Prime Minister showing up at a dump when it is on fire, when they have been trying for years to get him to notice them. They have done everything in their power to get his attention and the attention of his government to no avail. Now, with an election around the corner, Mr Christie can find the time and energy to visit? It’s an insult, and it fools no one.

The Prime Minister would have been better suited to send his hapless Minister of the Environment and stayed away. But we know for the optics alone he had to make an appearance.

Last week our Prime Minister flipped off the country with a crude hand gesture, so now was the time for politics at its best. He had to demonstrate empathy and civility. He had to demonstrate strength and caring for a people who clearly did not want to see him. It takes a certain level of gusto for Prime Minister Christie to walk through that community today. To take the glare and insults of the people who no doubt hurled some hurtful remarks his way.

He knew he had failed to do anything to remediate this dump that was a disaster waiting to happen. He knew children and families were being impacted by the smoke from the dump for years, and he did nothing to correct it. He knew his own colleagues, like the Member of Parliament for Tall Pines Leslie Miller, had berated him and the government for failing to do anything, and yet he went anyway. Like I said, it takes guts, guts and balls of steel.

So to our Prime Minister and his colleagues, who this week will no doubt dive head first into a vat of promises of what they will do about the city dump, prepare yourselves for the push back. Prepare yourself for the blank stares and bewildered looks that you will face. Prepare yourself for your waiting public who have had enough.

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