Masakhane cried, and Planact listened, offering a solution.

On April 22, Planact led a clean-up initiative in Masakhane, where they cleaned several dumping sites and marked the beginning of a great cooperation among residents and local stakeholders in keeping the area clean.

Planact is an NGO funded by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) to implement the Social Employment Fund (SEF) project, which aims to empower vulnerable communities by creating employment opportunities and building their capacity to improve living conditions and initiate activities that stimulate local economic development.

READ MORE: ELM intensifies on illegal dumping clean-up campaign

According to Hlengiwe Mbambo, the assistant programme coordinator, as part of this programme, 30 participants were employed in Masakhane under the Greening and Environment theme.

“Their work focuses on promoting a clean and liveable environment through waste management initiatives, including clearing illegal dumping sites, collecting recyclable materials, and generating income through recycling activities,” Hlengiwe said.

However, participants experienced challenges in securing consistent support from the local municipality, particularly with the collection of waste after it had been sorted and bagged at the dump site.

“In response, Planact initiated a clean-up campaign to strengthen collaboration between SEF participants and key stakeholders in the waste management sector, including the Emalahleni Local Municipality, PETCO, and the Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs,” Hlengiwe added.

The campaign also aimed to educate residents about responsible waste disposal and recycling.

The municipality is tackling trash – the clean-up drive is gaining momentum. Do you have an illegal dumping site on your doorstep – send us photos to info@witbanknews.co.zahttps://t.co/Xc7E5yzwI4 #witbanknews #cleanup #emalahleni #witbank pic.twitter.com/m1jzeBubNB

— WitbankNews (@WitbankN) April 17, 2026

Community members were encouraged to participate in keeping their surroundings clean, demonstrating that waste management is not only the responsibility of workers but also of everyone living in the settlement.

“After this clean-up, we so wish the municipality could do waste collection more often and just be consistent, that would really make it easier for us to keep Masakhane clean because it’s pointless for us to clean knowing that we are just going to keep our refuse bags there,” said a participant, Godfrey Mamogale.

As the municipality honoured the invitation, they further put all hands on deck and tackled all the reported dumping sites in the area.

Planact representatives expressed their heartfelt gratitude to those who put in the effort to make the initiative a success.

Your city, your story, as it happens. Stay in the loop with WITBANK NEWS.
Find us on our  website, Facebook, X,  Instagram or TikTok

Got a tip? Email: info@witbanknews.co.za