COUNCILLOR Sihlwele Nyengane, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Services from the King Sabatha Dalindyebo (KSD) Local Municipality in Mthatha, said illegal dumping is one of the primary challenges in South Africa.
He explained that this occurs when people discard their rubbish in unauthorised locations. Nyengane made these remarks during the Workers’ Day Education and Awareness Campaign event held at Mthatha Stadium. May has been designated by the municipality as Workers’ Month, celebrated in a unique way to encourage community members to respect the environment by keeping their areas clean.
Nyengane stated that some individuals behave irresponsibly, even though municipalities regularly collect solid waste. However, certain people continue to dump rubbish improperly.
“This behaviour has very negative effects on climate change. We are experiencing issues related to climate change due to the burning of rubbish, as it is dumped indiscriminately. Some of these items release harmful gases that should be processed correctly in a recycling facility,” said Nyengane.
He further explained that air quality is negatively impacted, which, in turn, makes areas look dirty.
Nyengane noted that the Department of Community Services has programmes to tackle this challenge. However, despite efforts to clean up illegal dumping sites, individuals often return to discard their waste.
“We now have a by-law that allows us to arrest and fine anyone caught dumping rubbish, with penalties of not less than R5,000. We consider these individuals enemies of the environment, which is why certain areas remain unsightly. We are addressing this issue, but it is difficult to combat illegal dumping because people’s mindsets need to change,” he said.
Nyengane urged the community to understand that they can earn money by selling recyclable waste to waste pickers. He also emphasised that illegal dumping is a major issue in Mthatha.
Nyengane revealed that numerous vehicles involved in illegal dumping have been apprehended.
“Our communities are now photographing vehicles and sending us the evidence so we can trace them. Construction workers also contribute significantly to illegal dumping. One truck was caught dumping rubbish illegally and was fined R10,000. We encourage people to continue reporting these incidents to avoid environmental health issues,” he explained.
He added that they are working with stakeholders to inform the public that illegal dumping is prohibited. He confirmed that the municipality is partnering with sector departments to tackle this behaviour.
Fundile Guleni, Director for the Department of Community Services, mentioned that a previous by-law imposed fines of R2,000 for illegal dumping. This policy will now be revised to align with the Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEDEAT), increasing the minimum fine to no less than R5,000, with a maximum of R10,000.
Guleni added that the fine amount would escalate depending on the time and effort needed to locate the offender, as many individuals resist capture.
“The plan is to extend awareness programmes across several months: in April (Freedom Month), May (Workers’ Month), and June (Youth Month, marked by a week-long programme inspired by June 16). Each month will carry relevant messages that echo the legacy of the youth of 1976. In July, there will be no programme, but in August (Women’s Month) and September (Heritage Month), we will celebrate women’s historical achievements and reflect on ongoing environmental frustrations. We will also highlight how our forefathers used to protect the environment,” said Guleni.
He concluded that the municipality aims to implement various awareness events and environmental campaigns until December.
