Out of his pocket and with donations from some community organisations, Sithembiso Mashigo (42) has managed to bring about change and development by opening his waste disposal site in Matsafeni, called Shigo Tau Waste Management and Recycling.

At the moment, the site is not equipped for recycling, but it is a drop zone for household waste that is sorted to be transported for recycling at various centres in Mbombela.

He has also managed to clean up an illegal dumpsite next to the Matsafeni road. “The aim is to reduce the illegal dumping taking place in Matsafeni. I had one of the dumpsites cleaned out and closed, and I employed a security officer to guard the area and refer those who want to dump their waste to this new site.”

Mashigo’s site is located next to the El-Shaddai Tabernacle International Church.

Born and bred in Matsafeni, Mashigo said he noticed the amount of waste that is produced in the informal settlement, which is not collected or managed thoroughly.

“While we wait for the City of Mbombela to formalise the area, the little we as residents can do is to tackle issues like littering and illegal dumping. We also need to destroy all the illegal dumpsites that are also utilised by individuals and businesses outside Matsafeni.”

ALSO READ: Mbombela GBV activist receives accolade at Africa Women Summit

He said he has been working towards this establishment for the past five years. “I used to go around collecting waste from the rental places and businesses, which in turn contributed only R50 every month. After I had collected a lot of waste to fill my bakkie, I would drive to Karino and dump it at the waste disposal site.”

He said he hopes that his new waste site will help keep the streets clean and create permanent employment for residents.

ALSO READ: Young multilingual poet from Nkomazi to renew lives word for word

“I have already employed 10 locals who now collect the waste from the rental places and businesses, and also sort it for recycling purposes. As the site grows, I hope to employ people who will pick up litter in the community.”

Mashigo said the site is open every day for anyone who wishes to dispose of their waste.