Closure of landfills in Emakhazeni Municipality will be detrimental to environment

AfriForum’s branches, in Dullstroom, Machadodorp and Waterval Boven, have drawn up a petition to stop the Emakhazeni Local Municipality’s planned closure of the garbage sites in these towns. The closure will have negative consequences for the environment and local communities and will lead to an increase in illegal dumping.

Residents of these towns will now have to travel more than 50 km to the only remaining landfill in Belfast – a landfill that is already struggling to cope with the current volumes of refuse.

AfriForum warns that the closure could lead to illegal dumping of garbage in the area, near rivers and even in the towns, which would entail serious health risks and environmental pollution. This problem also threatens the local economy, especially tourism, as pollution will negatively affect the towns’ image.

AfriForum demands that the Emakhazeni Municipality review the decision to close the landfills and introduce sustainable waste management solutions that will prevent illegal dumping and further pollution. Furthermore, the organisation also demands that the Belfast landfill be upgraded and that the municipality must ensure that alternative facilities are available before the landfills are closed.

The organisation already sent an urgent letter to the Emakhazeni Local Municipality on 5 September 2024 to address this issue, but to date no feedback has been received from the municipality. “We are disappointed by this lack of communication and insist that the municipality consider the serious implications of this decision. We will not watch as these communities pollute while the municipality does not do its job,” says Arlo Van Heerden, AfriForum’s district coordinator for the Lowveld.

AfriForum calls on all residents of the Emakhazeni Municipality to support the petition and stand together against this potential environmental and community crisis.

Add your voice to the petition to ensure that our communities and environment is protected.