New MMC plans to tackle illegal dumping
“My efforts will be to reduce tonnes of waste going to the landfills. It can be done if we prioritise by forming partnerships with whoever is capacitated to convert waste to energy,” Ziyanda Zwane says.
The new Tshwane MMC for environment and agriculture has vowed to fight illegal dumping.
Ziyanda Zwane, a member of Tshwane metro mayor Cilliers Brink’s new mayoral committee, said the landfills are in a dire state and “the city is slowly running out of space”.
“My efforts will be to reduce tonnes of waste going to the landfills. It can be done if we prioritise by forming partnerships with whoever is capacitated to convert waste to energy,” he said.
He said he will be engaging with schools, communities and organisations to play their part in clearing illegal dumping spots.
“Illegal dumping remains illegal and has a great negative impact on our environment and it’s a health hazard,” he said.
Zwane also said that the city’s tariff charge for waste removal and city cleansing is not structured properly because “there are residents who are not using the city’s services for waste removal”.
“This means that residents are not paying for these services and the city cleansing is a collective obligation for everyone who is residing in the city.”
Zwane said he will prioritise the restructuring of this tariff charge and conduct an outscale audit to see who is getting services and not paying.
He also said he wants to involve the youth in taking care of the environment and tackling the illegal dumping problem.
“As yet there are minimal programmes involving the youth due to budget constraints, but we are preparing to partner with organisations and institutions,” he said.
He said he was grateful to be entrusted in this position, as it entails trust and capability.
“Having to be entrusted with such responsibilities is about how the City is investing and giving young people a chance to learn and showcase their skills. I am grateful for this appointment but also mindful of the task ahead,” he said.
Originally from KwaZulu-Natal and a member of the Inkatha freedom party Zwane holds a BA degree at Tshwane University of Technology BA.
He also emphasised that the Tshwane University of Technology has lived up to its brand of “empowering the people”.
“The university is significantly succeeding in producing a high number of graduates annually while grooming young people with a political aspiration to become world-class leaders,” he said.
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