THE Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality has embarked on a waste management campaign targeting illegal dumpsites that have become a common sight around the Free State capital.
The city’s drive is part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s initiative to mobilise citizens, business, industry, labour and civil society to clean up South Africa.
Funded by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, the Mangaung project is ward-based and will see the planting of 6 000 trees around the metro, according to the acting head of the municipality’s community services department, Francois Nel.
To officially kick off the clean-up drive, Mangaung Executive Mayor Gregory Nthatisi was joined by Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Deputy Minister Makhotso Sotyu to launch the Separation of Waste at Source project at the South Park landfill site in Bloemfontein last Friday.
This project aims to encourage residents to separate waste at their households before collection by waste pickers and the municipality.
“The separation-at-source project is a pilot in line with the objectives of the National Waste Management strategy as well as the integration of waste pickers within the municipal waste system,” Nel told The Free Stater.
“The project’s objective is to create awareness with the public around responsible waste management, recycling and the promotion of a local waste economy.
“The diversion of recyclable material will also have a positive benefit in the reduction of waste to landfill as well as extension of landfill space that is currently a challenge countrywide.”
Mangaung residents complain that the municipality has for years failed to ensure the regular collection and disposal of waste from their homes across the metro, forcing them to end up dumping waste illegally at street corners and in open spaces.
“The metro is still facing challenges in regular collection due to various factors,” Nel said.
“Resource availability has been addressed through the procurement of eight new compaction vehicles to assist in increased waste collection.
“This is, however, not enough and we are constantly engaging to develop cost-effective strategies to deal with the service delivery aspect to communities.
“Various diversion and recycling initiatives are planned in the new financial year that will lessen the burden on the waste system and create a conducive environment for the establishment of local waste economies.”
Nel also called on local communities to be more responsible.
“Illegal dumping diverts resources and has a major financial impact on the current struggling system,” he said.
“The enforcement of by-laws also needs to get priority but needs to be supported by a well-functioning waste collection service.” – Staff Reporter