AfriForum Limpopo audits landfill sites
The civil rights organisation AfriForum audited 161 landfills nationwide this year as part of their national project to determine the condition of landfills in South Africa.
Only 2 out of 14 landfills audited in Limpopo met the national standards. In terms of applicable legislation and regulations, including the National Environmental Management: Waste Act 59 of 2008, all landfills must meet specific requirements.
How landfills in Limpopo compare:
According to Cee-J van der Walt, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for Soutpansberg, most landfills in Limpopo are in dire condition. “This is mainly due to mismanagement.”
“The most common problem that AfriForum’s branches in Limpopo noticed during the audit is that infrastructure is not being maintained. Keeping the site neat and covering the garbage is impossible since no earth moving equipment available. The type of garbage that enters these sites is also not controlled or monitored. It is a major concern as the municipal officials of Limpopo are not held accountable. Municipal deterioration is prevalent, and smaller municipalities suffer from large-scale mismanagement,” concludes van der Walt.
The situation can be attributed to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) being controlled by three different spheres of government. The national department only has the power to establish laws, policies, norms, and standards at a national level, but they have no power at a provincial or municipal level. The province reports to the provincial MEC, not the minister, while the lack of communication between Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) and the DFFE causes another challenge.
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