The civil rights organisation AfriForum this past month audited all the landfill sites in Limpopo according to 33 questions as part of its annual campaign during which landfill sites are measured in those towns where AfriForum branches have been established. It was concluded that urgent change need to take place at certain municipalities to adhere to legislation.

According to applicable legislation and regulations, among which the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008 (Act No. 59 of 2008), a landfill site must adhere to certain requirements for access control, fire regulations, as well as regulations on illegal dumping, fencing and rehabilitation.

A landfill site must achieve at least 80% to pass AfriForum’s audit.

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Jaco Grobbelaar, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for Limpopo, says that those landfill sites that achieved less than 80% should be brought up to standard and that municipalities should start taking responsibility for waste management.

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“The effect of the landfill sites that are substandard has a big negative impact on the environment as well as the community. A degree of responsibility also rests on the community to continuously place pressure on municipalities where the landfill sites do not adhere to legislation.”

Grobbelaar also mentions that there were in fact three landfill sites that passed the audit with flying colours. “Tzaneen achieved 100% during the audit. This is a good example of how waste should be managed and we want to encourage those municipalities where the landfill sites didn’t adhere to legislation to go and learn from municipalities where the landfill sites are in fact managed successfully.”

One of the landfill sites which AfriForum visited during the month of July was the Leeupoort landfill site where the conclusion was made after the audit that it didn’t adhere to national standards.

“The Leeupoort landfill site only achieved 2%. It isn’t fenced in, is severely polluted with medical waste and fires also occur. A number of people also live on the premises, which contains a big health risk,” adds Grobbelaar.