Efforts to address illegal dumping through the establishment of waste sorting facilities across the metro are ongoing, with the municipality confirming that several key steps in the process are still underway.

The metro said it is still working to complete the evaluation and approval of suitable land, a process that began earlier this year after the announcement of the first identified sites in the southern and eastern regions (regions 4 and 6) in March.

Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the identification of additional suitable sites in the remaining regions is ongoing and that this phase has not yet been concluded.

“The process involves selecting available vacant properties and aims to establish compliant waste sorting facilities; however, no final approvals have been granted yet,” he said.

“The city will communicate a timeline once the full evaluation phase has been completed.”

Mashigo confirmed that the sites previously identified in the southern and eastern regions have also not yet been formally approved.

He explained that several steps remain outstanding, including technical feasibility assessments, environmental compliance checks, and the completion of internal city processes, before the council can consider the formal reservation of the identified land.

He noted that while these locations have been earmarked, they cannot be used until all required approvals are granted.

Mashigo provided specific descriptions of the proposed sites, stating that in the southern region, they include Erf 8 Sunderland Ridge at 21 Elman Street, Erf 424/R in Hennopspark Ext 15, and Erf 1123/2/6/R in Claudius Ext 1.

In the eastern region, the identified sites are located in Mamelodi, with one on Sibande Street near the space between the Muslim Church, Erf 22426 in Mamelodi East, and Erf 29081 in Mamelodi Ext 5.

On the status of the project budget, Mashigo said the metro has not yet secured a dedicated capital budget for the development of the new waste sorting facilities.

He said that the allocation will be made only after the identification and approval stages are complete.

“Relevant city departments are currently assessing funding requirements in preparation for the next budget cycle,” he said.

He added that following site approval and budget allocation, the city will move ahead with designing the facilities, conducting procurement processes, and beginning infrastructure development.

He also said that community outreach and education programmes will be intensified during this phase to promote responsible waste management.

“The waste by-law is currently under review. The city is working to finalise these regulatory frameworks to strengthen the enforcement mechanism and enhance the city’s capacity to curb illegal dumping.”

Mashigo added that the metro’s illegal dumping strategy is still under development.

“The city continues to refine this framework document to ensure a well-coordinated and enforceable approach to reducing illegal dumping in all areas,” he said.

In response to concerns about illegal dumping in Centurion specifically, Mashigo said the city continues to implement education and community awareness programmes across all regions.

These include efforts to improve environmental awareness and encourage collaboration with community structures in hotspot areas.
He said the absence of waste sorting facilities remains a contributing factor to dumping, but immediate measures are in place.

“The city continues to implement interim measures such as intensive cleaning campaigns, monitoring of known hotspot areas, deployment of waste management teams for cleaning, and, where possible, enforcement of by-laws against offenders,” he said.

He added that community reporting channels remain active and that residents are encouraged to report dumping so that response teams can intervene promptly.

This update follows the metro’s announcement in March that two vacant plots had been identified as suitable for establishing waste sorting facilities in Tshwane.

At the time, Mashigo explained that the metro still needed to identify more sites across other regions and that the development phase would follow once the necessary budget had been secured.

He elaborated on the ongoing challenges with illegal dumping, particularly in the Centurion area, noting that the absence of these waste sorting facilities does indeed contribute to the problem.

He explained that inadequate access to waste facilities can be a key contributor to inefficient waste management systems in any municipality.

“Waste sorting facilities are just one part of a suite of waste facilities that can be made available to address access to waste management. This includes buyback centres, waste landfills, and waste material recovery facilities.”

Mashigo added that the metro has collaborated with the TMPD to enforce waste by-laws and deter illegal dumping.

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