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Wasting the Nation.indd - Groundwork

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Chapter 6: Down at <strong>the</strong> dumpslocal are reversed. Msunduzi has a much larger budget than Mgungundlovu and, onJogiat’s account, sees <strong>the</strong> district as a threat to its control. Its bid for metro statushas sharpened its determination to hold onto assets. Meanwhile, <strong>the</strong> landfill, whichrepresents a major asset, is running out of time.Given <strong>the</strong> long lead times, Mgungundlovu has begun <strong>the</strong> process of planning for itsreplacement and it intends to develop a regional landfill to service <strong>the</strong> entire district.This appears to be in line with DEAT’s thinking. The project, however, is fraught withuncertainty. First, <strong>the</strong>re is no obvious source of financing. Second, it may fall within<strong>the</strong> future boundaries of an Msunduzi metro and revert to its control with uncertainconsequences for <strong>the</strong> rest of <strong>the</strong> district. Third, as a metro Msunduzi may decide on arival project.New England RoadThe New England Road landfill has created a new hill in <strong>the</strong> Pietermaritzburglandscape. The original dump dates from <strong>the</strong> mid 20 th Century. It was located in avalley next to <strong>the</strong> Msunduzi River directly across from Sobantu, Pietermaritzburg’soldest black township, on <strong>the</strong> opposite bank. In 1993, a lined landfill to comply with<strong>the</strong> minimum requirements was constructed on top of this old dump and received apermit from <strong>the</strong> DWAF. This landfill is now rapidly approaching <strong>the</strong> maximum heightallowed by <strong>the</strong> permit. According to <strong>the</strong> manager, <strong>the</strong>re is sufficient air-space for 8 to10 years. O<strong>the</strong>r sources give it a maximum of 6 years.In 2006, <strong>the</strong> landfill received 62,750 tonnes a year of domestic waste, 20,175 t/ygarden waste and 27,538 t/y industrial waste, according to <strong>the</strong> external audit. Thisappears not to include building waste, which <strong>the</strong> 2004 IWMP put at 71,000 t/y. Thefigures are based on weighbridge records but it is not at all clear that <strong>the</strong>y are reliable.There is <strong>the</strong>refore no way of assessing trends in waste generation from <strong>the</strong> archive oflandfill records. 96The permit notwithstanding, <strong>the</strong> landfill has had a sorry history. External auditscommissioned by uMgungundlovu and carried out in 2004/5 and 2006 indicate a96 Generally, <strong>the</strong> figures given in <strong>the</strong> 2004 IWMP don’t add up. Figures for waste received at New EnglandRoad were based on weighbridge records but, for example, only show 20,000 t/y of domestic waste received at<strong>the</strong> landfill. This may reflect misreporting or entirely unreliable record keeping as it is not credible that domesticwaste has tripled since <strong>the</strong>n.<strong>Wasting</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Nation</strong> - groundWork - 153 -

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