The Gauteng government can no longer stand idly by while municipalities fail to execute their mandate to maintain dumping sites and should urgently intervene.
The Gauteng Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Agriculture, chaired by an FF Plus member, is currently conducting oversight visits to all municipal dumping sites to determine the extent of non-compliance with the regulations for the disposition of waste materials at landfills.
Gauteng is South Africa’s economic hub and generates a lot of waste, but has few dumping sites and little space available for developing new ones.
At present, 14 dumping sites in Gauteng do not comply with the municipal regulations for the disposition of waste materials.
In Johannesburg, the Ennerdale, Goudkoppies, Mari Louise and Robinson Deep landfills do not comply with regulations.
In the Tshwane Metro, the non-compliant landfills are Bronkhorstspruit, Ga-Rankuwa, Hatherley, Onderstepoort and Soshanguve.
In Ekurhuleni, it is the Platkop, Rietfontein, Rooikraal, Simmer and Jack and Weltevreden landfills.
The situation has gotten so out of hand in Mogale City that fires broke out at its dumping site, which is also not up to municipal standards, because waste is not compacted properly. It has a significant impact on air quality in the area.
An additional problem affecting municipal dumping sites is squatters who live near the sites to collect and sell recyclable materials. They claim that syndicates are attacking them and taking their materials.
One such a hotspot is Plastic City in Ekurhuleni where illegal immigrants reportedly live.
This informal settlement is next to the Boksburg landfill. The air pollution caused by the incineration of plastics and tyres in Plastic City affects areas as far as Brakpan North and Central.
Its residents make a living through collecting plastic materials and vehicle tyres from the landfill and selling them to recycling operations.
The shortage of suitable dumping sites is problematic because of the financial implications of licensing and developing integrated waste facilities, and the time frames for establishing such facilities.
The FF Plus will tackle the matter to find and implement viable dumping site solutions.
Freedom Front Plus
www.vfplus.org.za
