Most landfills in Gauteng in acceptable condition

AfriForum this year audited 162 landfill sites nationwide as part of this organisation’s national project to measure the quality of landfills in South Africa.

Only 11 out of 19 landfills audited in Gauteng have met national standards. In terms of applicable legislation and regulations, including the National Environmental Management: Waste Act 59 of 2008, a landfill must meet certain requirements.

According to Sampie Steinberg, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for Pretoria North, most landfill sites in Gauteng are in a acceptable condition.

Dewet Ungerer, AfriForum District Coordinator for Pretoria South says that the most common problems that AfriForum encountered during the audit were Gauteng is well maintained and complies with all legislation there is still great concern about the limited air space when it comes to Gauteng’s landfill site’s. When you look at the rate at which Gauteng is expanding and the rate at which municipalities and metro are planning for expansion and planning of new landfill site’s, we are heading into an environmental disaster.

Municipal decay is the order of the day and it is obvious that smaller municipalities in particular are suffering from large-scale mismanagement.

In the last two years, AfriForum has met on several occasions with Barbara Creecy, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environmental Affairs, and her team. From the meetings it was clear that there was insufficient communication between national, provincial and local authorities. This is proof that co-operative government and traditional affairs (Cogta) and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environmental Affairs do not communicate with each other.