Half SA‘s waste sites are illegal – minister

By Patrick Cull Political Editor

NEARLY half the 1 321 waste landfill sites in South Africa were unauthorised and many would have to be “formally closed”, Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk told the National Council of Provinces yesterday.

Introducing the debate on his budget, Van Schalkwyk said millions of South Africans, mainly living in informal settlements and rural areas, did not have access to domestic waste collection services.

He said included in the 1 321 landfill sites, of which 629 were unauthorised, were 58 hazardous landfill sites “which are not permitted. This situation clearly has a significant negative effect on human health and the environment”.

Van Schalkwyk said preliminary studies indicated that in many municipalities around the country there were serious waste management system problems, including a lack of finance, operational equipment and capacity.

“Within the municipal infrastructure grant system, waste has an allocation of five per cent in a category termed ‘other‘ that also includes street lights and other smaller infrastructure. Clearly, this is not adequate to address the challenges we face as a country.”

He said his department was working to assess the waste service delivery system across the country and to develop an approach to managing it, including recommendations on financing, capacity and management issues.

The minister said the new Waste Management Bill would be tabled this year and would, among other issues, address matters relating to the collection, transportation, recovery, re-use, recycling, treatment and disposal of waste.

Turning to compliance issues, Van Schalkwyk said government bodies, business, civil society and communities in South Africa “remain committed to working together in ensuring compliance with our environmental laws”.

He said there were 816 environmental management inspectors, the so-called “Green Scorpions”, and his department‘s partnership with the Justice College had resulted in awareness-raising workshops attended by more than 200 prosecutors and magistrates to date.

The minister said that in 2006/07 some 898 people had been arrested and 134 convicted in court for environmental crimes. More than R1,5-million had been paid in admission of guilt fines, with many other criminal cases pending.