Wasting the Nation.indd - Groundwork

Chapter 6: Down at the dumpsthe waste body to collect leachate as it is formed. It simply catches leachate that leaksout at a lowest point. Even this minimal system is in a state of disrepair and does notfunction properly according to the audit report. What leachate the system does collectis not treated but connected straight up to the Vanderbijl sewage works. This works isitself dysfunctional. The combination is a recipe for serious pollution.The cover material for the dump consists of slag from the metal industries across theroad. There are some 300 pickers on site. Many of them, but particularly the youngmen, comb through the slag to find bits of steel to recycle as scrap. Otherwise peoplecollect the usual range of recyclables – bottles, paper, plastics and supermarket foodpast its sell-by date. The pickers say they work individually and estimate that they earnaround R400 per month. They have established a huge ‘salvage yard’ at the bottomof the dump with individual sites clearly marked. This is an indication of informalcooperation.More formally, in 2002, the pickers elected a committee of 38 which is still in place. 102This replaced another committee, which had folded, and it is possible that pickershave organised themselves in different ways over the twenty years that they had beenon the dump. They have agreed rules to make the dump a safer place to work butmembers of the committee say it is difficult to enforce them on the many people whowork there. This is confirmed by the audit report, which states that pickers jump ontomoving trucks as they arrive and risk injury or death. Redelinghuys says he knowsof at least 5 people killed in this way. Women on the committee say that men do itto block others from getting to the waste. They also allege that some men steal whatothers have collected and people have to stay overnight to guard their pickings. Manylive on the site in plastic shelters. Getting decent housing off site is a top priority forthe women on the committee. It does not appear, however that they have much faiththat the municipality will deliver on this.This reflects a general sense that they get little help from the municipality althoughthey have a good relationship with Loate. They can get access to staff toilets and havereceived reflective t-shirts. They have not received any protective clothing such asboots, gloves or masks.102 Interview with some members of the pickers’ committee: Pulane Ralephanyane, Mantwa Mokoena, SylviaChelwane and Mmateboho Sekhoto.- 164 - groundWork - Wasting the Nation