Wasting the Nation.indd - Groundwork
Wasting the Nation.indd - Groundwork
Wasting the Nation.indd - Groundwork
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Chapter 6: Down at <strong>the</strong> dumpsThe Gauteng State of <strong>the</strong> Environment Report [SOER 2004] says that Sedibengdisposes of just under 40,000 cubic metres of waste per year. Calculating from Census2001 and 1996, it estimates that weekly municipal collection services are providedto just 48% of households. 30% dispose of <strong>the</strong>ir rubbish in “own dump” (it is notexplained what this means, but it may well refer to informal rural dumping whichmeans digging holes in <strong>the</strong> ground or burning rubbish), 10% in “communal dumps”(presumably bigger holes with burning), while 8% have no disposal services at all[93]. 99 The SOER registers a decrease of 6% from 1996 to 2001 in households withservices.Emfuleni is <strong>the</strong> biggest local municipality in <strong>the</strong> Sedibeng district with 28% of <strong>the</strong>land but 84% of <strong>the</strong> people. Most of <strong>the</strong> population is urban. Indeed, <strong>the</strong> area is now<strong>the</strong> sou<strong>the</strong>rn extension of <strong>the</strong> Gauteng conurbation stretching from Tshwane in <strong>the</strong>north. Vereeniging, Sharpville, Tshepiso, Boipatong, Vanderbijlpark and Bophelongcluster alongside <strong>the</strong> Vaal River in <strong>the</strong> south of Emfuleni while Sebokeng and Evatonto <strong>the</strong> north of Vanderbijlpark stretch up to <strong>the</strong> boundary with Johannesburg. A smallproportion of <strong>the</strong> population lives on surrounding smallholdings.According to <strong>the</strong> Emfuleni IDP review 2008/9, 100 133,030 households have <strong>the</strong>irwaste collected once a week while 22,200 households in formal settlements and allhouseholds in informal settlements do not have <strong>the</strong>ir waste removed. Business wasteis collected daily from 1,453 stands in Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging. There arealso street sweeping services in business centres in Vereeniging, Vanderbijlpark, o<strong>the</strong>routlying business centres, <strong>the</strong> Sebokeng taxi rank “and all main roads”.None of <strong>the</strong> Emfuleni landfills are permitted. The old Zuurfontein dump, a silentmonument to consumerism right next to <strong>the</strong> upmarket Vaal Mall, stopped receivingwaste in 2005, was capped and equipped with a gas vent. DWAF issued a finalclosure permit in 2008. Boitshepi is Vanderbijlpark’s main dump and handles 25,000to 30,000 tonnes of waste a month. Its available air-space is not calculated but it isestimated to use up 270,000 m 3 a year. Palm Springs is a new dump taking wastefrom Sebokeng and Evaton and is growing rapidly. Its available air-space is stated tobe 264,000 m 3 . That this has been calculated seems to relate to plans to establish a99 The remaining 4% is categorised as “municipal o<strong>the</strong>r”.100 http://www.emfuleni.gov.za/docs/idp/idp_0809.doc. See p. 38.<strong>Wasting</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Nation</strong> - groundWork - 159 -