Vredefort’s municipal landfill site has finally been closed by the Ngwathe Local Municipality after the Department of Economic Development, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (Destea) refused to renew the landfill’s licence due to the possibility of groundwater contamination.

A notice announcing the closure of the site was placed on the gate last week following a public consultation process. No further dumping is permitted at the site, Ngwathe’s Director of Community Services, Mojabeng Makibinyane, confirmed to the Gazette.

Waste skips where residents can dispose of refuse for municipal collection will be placed at strategic areas as soon as they are available. Residents can also contact the municipality on 081 033 9622 for emergency waste removal, Makibinyane said.

Makibinyane assured residents that municipal waste collection would continue daily, despite the closure of the site.

She appealed to the communities of Vredefort and Mokwallo to comply with the interim measures introduced for waste removal in Vredefort, or to make use of the Parys landfill site, until a new site has been identified.

The municipality appointed a consultant in May to identify a suitable site.

The Gazette raised the alarm in 2025 about Ngwathe’s licence for the Vredefort landfill site along the S80, which had already expired in 2017.

This came to light following enquiries by the Gazette and the management of the Koepel Farmers’ Association. Correspondence obtained from Destea confirmed that Ngwathe’s application to expand the landfill had been rejected in 2017 and that the department had not subsequently received a new application from the municipality, after the refusal to renew the licence.

The problem of groundwater contamination was also highlighted in the department’s 2017 correspondence.

The landfill site along the S80 was previously an open gravel pit that people gradually began using as a dumping site over the years.

The site is situated along one of the access routes to the Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site, although it falls outside the buffer zone and core of the Vredefort Dome.

After questions were raised about the licence, Ngwathe initially confirmed that it had licences for all its landfill sites, with the exception of Parys and Koppies, where the municipality had permits. However, after the licensing problem came to light, the municipality entered into urgent discussions with Destea in June 2025.

These efforts were led by Makibinyane, who, since her appointment a year ago, together with municipal manager Dr F.P. Mothamaha, has taken the licensing issue seriously.

This resulted in the site being fenced, cleaned and fitted with security measures to comply with Destea’s safety requirements, as well as with the Auditor-General’s report, which stated that the municipality must properly maintain its landfill sites.

The closure has been welcomed by landowners from the Koepel Farmers’ Association after years of discussions with the municipality about the condition of the site and the fire hazard it posed.
In the past, farmers were forced to clean up the site at considerable expense from their own pockets, erect fencing and even put up signs warning people against illegal dumping.

With the municipality’s approval, the entrance to the landfill was also then moved from the S80 side to the R59 side of the site.

This brought considerable relief, but it did not last long because the site was not properly controlled.
The National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), Act 107 of 1998, places a legal duty on anyone who has caused or may cause pollution or degradation of the environment to take reasonable measures to prevent, minimise and rectify such pollution or degradation.

In addition, the National Environmental Management: Waste Act (NEMWA) makes it clear that all reasonable measures must be in place to ensure that waste disposal sites are managed in an environmentally responsible manner.

Had the municipality failed to comply with Destea’s demand to close the Vredefort landfill to stop groundwater contamination, the responsible municipal officials could have faced a minimum fine of R5m or five years’ imprisonment.

The seriousness of the environmental impact determines the penalty imposed, and in severe cases a fine of up to R10m or 10 years’ imprisonment may be imposed.

Makibinyane confirmed that, except Vredefort and Edenville, all of the municipality’s landfill sites are now licensed.

A consultant has been appointed in Vredefort and Edenville to ensure compliance with the legal requirements for the management of municipal landfill sites.