VEREENIGING – Residents in Emfuleni continue to experience inconsistent refuse collection and growing illegal dumping despite the recent delivery of additional waste management vehicles, according to opposition councillors.

Democratic Alliance (South Africa) councillor Dady Mollo criticised the local municipality’s waste management performance, stating that the arrival of new compactor trucks has not translated into improved service delivery on the ground.

Mollo said that although 15 new compactor trucks were recently introduced, many communities in the municipality remain affected by missed collection schedules and accumulating waste in public spaces.

He further claimed that the problem in waste management was not necessarily a shortage of equipment, but rather what he described as poor planning and implementation.

Fleet expansion without operational implementation will not solve Emfuleni’s waste challenges.

Last week, the Emfuleni Local Municipality reportedly publicised the arrival of a larger fleet of waste management vehicles as part of efforts to strengthen service delivery.

However, opposition councillors argued that the presence of new vehicles alone does not guarantee improved municipal performance unless supported by operational planning, staffing, and effective scheduling.

The DA’s Emfuleni caucus leadership, including councillors Dalene Venter and other party representatives, said they have escalated concerns regarding waste collection failures to the provincial legislature.

The party intends to raise questions during the State of the Province Address (SOPA), where service delivery challenges in the municipality are expected to form part of broader political discussions.

Residents across several parts of Emfuleni have previously raised concerns about irregular refuse removal and the expansion of illegal dumping sites.

Municipal officials had not immediately responded to the latest allegations at the time of publication.