By SIMTHANDILE FORD
The department of economic development, environmental affairs and tourism has allocated R10-million for the upgrading of landfill sites in six Eastern Cape municipalities.
MEC Sakhumzi Somyo yesterday handed over funds to the Amahlathi municipality for the site in Keiskamahoek.
Other municipalities that will receive funds for upgrades are Makana, Ntabankulu, Mhlontlo, Maletswai and Ndlambe.
Somyo handed over R770000 to Amahlathi for the upgrading of the Keiskamahoek site.
Somyo warned the municipality he would not hesitate to revoke its licence if officials failed to improve the condition of the landfill site.
The money would “enable the municipality to implement its own integrated waste management plan, that they adopted”.
“This amount will allow us as the department to hold the municipality accountable and impose measures if they do not comply with the environmental regulations.”
Last year Amahlathi municipality received R2-million for the same project, and through the expanded public works programme employed 30 people.
Somyo described the Keiskamahoek site as a typical example of a “failed waste management site”.
“The state of this dumping site is unacceptable.
“It is not fenced, the waste that has been dumped here goes right back to the community it comes from. Someone should be held liable for what we see here.”
Councillor Nobotwe Magwaxaza said officials took the MEC’s warning “very seriously”, and would work tirelessly to ensure the municipality retained its licence.
“The amount that we were given will assist us to employ more people and to drive our recycling programmes to minimise what we dispose as final waste,” said Magwaxaza.
Fifteen more people would be hired to upgrade the site, which would include fencing it, building a road to the site and installing a security system. — simthandilef@dispatch.co.za
MEC slams waste site at upgrade cash hand over
The department of economic development, environmental affairs and tourism has allocated R10-million for the upgrading of landfill sites in six Eastern Cape municipalities.
MEC Sakhumzi Somyo yesterday handed over funds to the Amahlathi municipality for the site in Keiskamahoek.
Other municipalities that will receive funds for upgrades are Makana, Ntabankulu, Mhlontlo, Maletswai and Ndlambe.
Somyo handed over R770000 to Amahlathi for the upgrading of the Keiskamahoek site.
Somyo warned the municipality he would not hesitate to revoke its licence if officials failed to improve the condition of the landfill site.
The money would “enable the municipality to implement its own integrated waste management plan, that they adopted”.
“This amount will allow us as the department to hold the municipality accountable and impose measures if they do not comply with the environmental regulations.”
Last year Amahlathi municipality received R2-million for the same project, and through the expanded public works programme employed 30 people.
Somyo described the Keiskamahoek site as a typical example of a “failed waste management site”.
“The state of this dumping site is unacceptable.
“It is not fenced, the waste that has been dumped here goes right back to the community it comes from. Someone should be held liable for what we see here.”
Councillor Nobotwe Magwaxaza said officials took the MEC’s warning “very seriously”, and would work tirelessly to ensure the municipality retained its licence.
“The amount that we were given will assist us to employ more people and to drive our recycling programmes to minimise what we dispose as final waste,” said Magwaxaza.
Fifteen more people would be hired to upgrade the site, which would include fencing it, building a road to the site and installing a security system. — simthandilef@dispatch.co.za
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