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Emfuleni municipality starts waste clean-up amid mounting pressure

'THE STAR' EXPOSÉ

Masabata Mkwananzi|Published
Emfuleni begins clearing major dumping site a day after The Star exposes worsening waste crisis.
Before Emfuleni began clearing major dumping site.
Emfuleni begins clearing major dumping site a day after The Star exposes worsening waste crisis.

A day after The Star exposed the worsening waste crisis in the Emfuleni Local Municipality, the municipality began clearing one of the worst-affected sites, where waste had spilled into roads and nearby public spaces.

The clean-up follows an April 13 report and a recent oversight conducted by the Democratic Alliance (DA) Emfuleni mayoral candidate Kingsol Chabalala visit which highlighted how the crisis had escalated, choking main routes and overtaking parks in areas such as Sebokeng.

Before and after: Emfuleni’s worst dumping sites cleared after The Star exposed waste spilling into roads and public spaces despite over R91 million spent, concerns over the municipality’s capacity to tackle the crisis persist.
Before and after: Emfuleni’s worst dumping sites cleared after The Star exposed waste spilling into roads and public spaces despite over R91 million spent, concerns over the municipality’s capacity to tackle the crisis persist.
Before and after: Emfuleni’s worst dumping sites cleared after The Star exposed waste spilling into roads and public spaces despite over R91 million spent, concerns over the municipality’s capacity to tackle the crisis persist.
Before and after: Emfuleni’s worst dumping sites cleared after The Star exposed waste spilling into roads and public spaces despite over R91 million spent, concerns over the municipality’s capacity to tackle the crisis persist.
Before and after: Emfuleni’s worst dumping sites cleared after The Star exposed waste spilling into roads and public spaces despite over R91 million spent, concerns over the municipality’s capacity to tackle the crisis persist.
Before and after: Emfuleni’s worst dumping sites cleared after The Star exposed waste spilling into roads and public spaces despite over R91 million spent, concerns over the municipality’s capacity to tackle the crisis persist.
Before and after: Emfuleni’s worst dumping sites cleared after The Star exposed waste spilling into roads and public spaces despite over R91 million spent, concerns over the municipality’s capacity to tackle the crisis persist.

Despite the intervention, serious questions remain about the municipality’s ability to curb the crisis. More than R91 million has been spent over three financial years on grass cutting and clearing dumpsites, yet waste continues to spread across communities.

Chabalala said the clean-up signals long-overdue action following mounting pressure over the municipality’s worsening dumping crisis.

“These sites have become a serious health hazard and a reflection of failing service delivery. Despite millions being spent, conditions on the ground have only deteriorated,” he said.

Chabalala welcomed the intervention but warned it must not be a once-off response.

“This is a step in the right direction, but sustained action and accountability are needed to ensure communities are clean, safe and properly maintained,” he added.

Municipal spokesperson Makhosonke Sangweni previously attributed the challenges to limited internal capacity, saying the municipality relies heavily on external contractors to carry out grass cutting and waste clearing across a vast service area.

He also acknowledged that resource constraints and operational gaps have made it difficult to maintain consistent service delivery.

Previously, The Star reported that limited refuse collection capacity, including a shortage of operational trucks, has further strained the municipality’s ability to respond effectively to illegal dumping.

The Star

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