Landfill sites in DBNLM in dire straits
blocking its entrance and spilling over to the roadside of the N9.
Graaff-Reinet
The appalling state of the provincial road from the N9 and the access road leading to the Graaff-Reinet landfill site was also highlighted last year in February and again in October when a video taken by a concerned resident went viral. See article, Landfill site a sight for sore eyes, 9 November last year at www.graaffreinetadvertiser.com
At the time the Director of Community Services, Gewnynne Hermanus, confirmed that provision has been made for the rehabilitation of the Graaff-Reinet landfill site and transfer station, as well as the maintenance of all landfill sites in the municipality.
On 1 November last year the municipality announced that the landfill site was closed "as a temporary measure to ensure the realisation of its rehabilitation" and residents and businesses were requested to dump their waste at the transfer station where "the recyclables will be sorted, and the rest will be disposed of in a designated space".
However, during the last week of November residents noticed a thick, dark column of smoke billowing up from the waste transfer station and blowing directly towards the town.
Upon investigation it was discovered that the unmanageable mass of domestic and industrial waste at the transfer station had been set alight.
Based on this, Samantha GrahamMaré, DA MP and Dr Beyers Naudé Constituency Leader, laid criminal charges against the municipality under the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008 (Act No. 59 of 2008) for their alleged failure to fulfil a general duty in respect of waste management.
'Progress is being made'
Subsequently Safers explained that progress is being made with the rehabilitation of the transfer station and the landfill site, but Graham-Maré questioned whether he actually visited the landfill site since she was of the opinion that no actual rehabilitation has taken place.
"Aside from grading all the rubbish onto the sides of the roads, almost nothing has changed."
To this Hermanus responded that a tender for the rehabilitation of the landfill site was allocated to a service provider on 13 December but in terms of legislation the letter of appointment can only be issued to the service provider after a period of 14 days to allow for disputes.
The service provider will therefore only be able to commence with the rehabilitation early in January 2024.
The transfer station will remain closed until it has been fully rehabilitated.
Own yellow plant in the pipeline
Safers also said an application for Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) funding to acquire the yellow plant (earthmoving machine) required to improve the municipality's capacity for maintaining landfill sites has already been approved and a three-year strategic plan to outsource the management of the landfill site until the municipality has acquired the required yellow plant has already been tabled in council.
He said war has been declared against illegal dumping, including dumping along the access road to the landfill site, and those found guilty will be fined.
An enquiry regarding the state of the landfill sites was sent to the DBNLM and its response will be published once received.