The Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms. Makhotso Sotyu, will hand over a waste compactor truck worth nearly R3 million to the Masilonyana Local Municipality in the Free State province, on Friday, 11 November 2022.

This compactor truck is part of the National Yellow Waste and Landfill Management Fleet which the Department has purchased as a waste management intervention to address waste collection services and illegal dumping for selected local municipalities across the country. Due to insufficient budget, many local municipalities face serious challenges with waste collection services and as a result, some of the residents and businesses dump waste in open spaces resulting in illegal dumps. 

The waste disposal facilities in most municipalities are also experiencing serious non-compliance as waste is not properly managed due to lack of fleet and equipment. In an attempt to assist the municipalities, the department in 2018/19 engaged with COGTA and National Treasury to enable municipalities to procure waste collection and landfill operation vehicles through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG). For municipalities to access MIG funds, they have to prepare Technical Assessment Reports (TAR), which demonstrates the need for these vehicles and the potential impact of procuring such.

The handover will be preceded by a clean-up campaign in the Majwemasweu community to promote waste awareness, discourage littering and dumping illegally in open spaces. Deputy Minister Sotyu will lead the clean-up campaign joined by the Executive Mayor of Lejweleputsa District Municipality, Cllr. Veronica Ntakumbana, and Mayor of Masilonyana Local Municipality, Cllr. Dimakatso Modise

Source: Government of South Africa