Emfuleni Local Municipality’s (ELM) waste management has come under scrutiny as Vaal residents continue to be plunged into dirt due to mushrooming illegal dumping sites and the lack of household refuse removal.

Speaking to Ster North on the matter, ELM mayoral candidate Kingsol Chabalala said that the municipality had spent approximately R112m on refuse collection without visible results.

“Of this amount, R68m was paid to service providers contracted by the municipality, R31m went towards employee overtime, and R13m was spent on fleet rentals.”

Chabalala said that despite the millions spent, residents are still being forced to live in filth.
“Our suburbs, CBDs, and townships remain buried under piles of uncollected refuse. Illegal dumping sites continue to spiral out of control. Emfuleni residents are being financially abused.“

“The DA must now question whether procurement processes were properly followed, and whether mismanagement or corruption may be at the heart of the municipality’s ongoing refuse crisis. Filth-covered streets are a direct insult to the residents of Emfuleni.”

Meanwhile, Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Jacob Mamabolo, has reaffirmed his department’s commitment to working with all stakeholders to resolve the long-standing waste management challenges facing the municipality.

Mamabolo is concerned about the escalating costs of refuse collection and waste management, while illegal dumping continues to proliferate across the municipality.

Mamabolo said from 2021 to 2026, the municipality spent more than R33m on waste management, with limited visible impact on the ground.

In 2025, Mamabolo deployed teams from the Department of Infrastructure Development to assist in clearing illegal dumping sites across Emfuleni under the ‘Phakama Vaal’ intervention. The progress was not sustained through the municipality’s internal waste management systems.

“We are currently finalising consultations with national, provincial and municipal stakeholders as we prepare for a coordinated intervention in Emfuleni,” said MEC Mamabolo.

He emphasised that the provincial government’s approach is anchored in the Local Government Turnaround Strategy, which positions intergovernmental relations as a central mechanism for addressing complex and systemic challenges affecting municipalities across Gauteng.

“We have taken a deliberate decision to move away from the blame game. The challenges we face are complex and require the full cooperation of all three spheres of government.”

Mamabolo added that he and the MEC for Environment, Ewan Botha, are finalising consultations and engagements to solidify interventions to support ELM.