DA
By Mpho Moloi
DA Applauds Fezile Dabi Landfill Audit but Calls for Private-Public Partnerships. The Democratic Alliance applauds Fezile Dabi District Municipality for recently conducting a district-wide landfill site audit in an effort to assist struggling local municipalities. The audit has revealed serious compliance gaps at landfill sites across Moqhaka, Metsimaholo, Mafube, and Ngwathe. However, this is not a new revelation. For years, local municipal landfill sites have struggled with non-compliance with the National Environmental Management: Waste Act 59 of 2008, creating environmental risks that can no longer be ignored. The deterioration of landfill sites due to non-compliance poses a massive risk to the health of residents and the environment. Addressing this matter will not only ensure that residents’ health is protected but will also restore the cleanliness of the environment. The audit, which was tabled at the District Environmental Health portfolio committee recently, highlighted serious shortcomings across local municipalities, which include no access control or fencing, lack of signposting, inadequate operational plans, burning of waste, insufficient fleet and equipment, poor security, no ablution facilities, no land set aside for future operations, uncontrolled salvaging and encroachments, and ineffective management the list goes on. In response to this crisis, Fezile Dabi District has: Issued compliance inspection reports with clear recommendations to all affected municipalities to align with the National Environmental Management: Waste Act. Engaged the District Waste Management Officers Forum and the provincial authority (DESTEA) to ensure corrective actions are enforced. Established a multi-stakeholder task team (DFFE, Water and Sanitation, DESTEA, FS COGTA, FDDM, and Metsimaholo LM) to secure land, designs, and environmental studies for a new Metsimaholo landfill site. Assisted some municipalities with MIG applications and shared technical expertise with support from the Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO). Partnered with SALGA, DFFE, and FS COGTA to arrange workshops on landfill legislation, compliance, and waste classification standards for councillors and officials. While the District will continue to enforce compliance and provide technical support, it is clear that municipalities cannot resolve the landfill crisis on their own. The way forward lies in stronger private-public partnerships that must form the backbone of sustainable waste management, bringing in investment, innovation, and expertise to complement the government’s role.
Audit Reveals Widespread Non-Compliance Issues
The district-wide landfill site audit conducted by Fezile Dabi District Municipality has exposed a litany of serious shortcomings at facilities across its four local municipalities: Moqhaka, Metsimaholo, Mafube, and Ngwathe. Tabled at the District Environmental Health portfolio committee in early September 2025, the report paints a concerning picture of neglect and mismanagement that has persisted for years. Key problems identified include a complete lack of access control or fencing at many sites, allowing unauthorised entry and increasing risks of illegal dumping or vandalism.
Other issues highlighted are the absence of proper signposting to guide users and warn of hazards, inadequate operational plans that fail to address daily management needs, and the dangerous practice of burning waste, which releases toxic fumes into the air. Insufficient fleet and equipment mean sites cannot handle waste volumes effectively, while poor security leads to theft and further degradation. Basic amenities like ablution facilities are missing, posing health risks to workers, and no land has been set aside for future expansions, limiting long-term sustainability.
Uncontrolled salvaging—where informal recyclers scavenge without regulation—creates safety hazards and disrupts operations, while encroachments from nearby developments reduce available space. Ineffective management overall has resulted in overflowing sites, environmental pollution, and health threats to surrounding communities. These findings align with national trends, where many municipal landfills fail to meet standards set by the National Environmental Management: Waste Act 59 of 2008, which mandates safe, sustainable waste handling to protect public health and the environment.
The audit’s revelations are not entirely new; similar concerns have been raised in previous reports, such as the 2023 national waste management strategy review, which noted that 60% of South African landfills are non-compliant, leading to groundwater contamination and air pollution. In the Free State, where Fezile Dabi is located, rural municipalities often lack the resources for proper maintenance, exacerbating issues during heavy rains when leachate—toxic liquid from waste—can overflow into rivers.
Health and Environmental Risks from Deteriorating Sites
The deterioration of these landfill sites poses a massive risk to the health of residents and the environment. Improper waste management can lead to the spread of diseases through vectors like rats and flies, while burning releases harmful pollutants like dioxins, linked to respiratory issues and cancer. In Metsimaholo, for example, residents near the Sasolburg landfill have reported increased asthma cases, though not directly tied to this audit.
Environmental impacts include soil and water contamination, affecting agriculture in the fertile Boland-like areas of the Free State. The Vaal River, vital for irrigation, faces pollution risks from nearby sites. Addressing this matter will not only ensure that residents’ health is protected but will also restore the cleanliness of the environment, preventing long-term damage like biodiversity loss in local ecosystems.
Nationally, non-compliant landfills contribute to South Africa’s 90 million tonnes of annual waste, with only 10% recycled, per the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE). This inefficiency costs the economy R17 billion yearly in lost resources and cleanup.
Fezile Dabi’s Response Actions
In response to this crisis, Fezile Dabi District has taken proactive steps to enforce compliance and support its locals. The district has issued compliance inspection reports with clear recommendations to all affected municipalities to align with the National Environmental Management: Waste Act. These include immediate fencing installations, development of operational plans, and cessation of burning practices.
The district has also engaged the District Waste Management Officers Forum and the provincial authority, the Department of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (DESTEA), to ensure corrective actions are enforced. This collaboration aims to monitor progress through regular inspections and provide technical guidance.
A multi-stakeholder task team has been established, comprising the DFFE, Department of Water and Sanitation, DESTEA, Free State COGTA, FDDM, and Metsimaholo LM, to secure land, designs, and environmental studies for a new Metsimaholo landfill site. This addresses the current site’s overcapacity, which handles 50,000 tonnes annually but is designed for 30,000.
Fezile Dabi has assisted some municipalities with Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) applications for funding upgrades and shared technical expertise with support from the Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO), which helps with recycling initiatives.
Additionally, the district has partnered with SALGA, DFFE, and FS COGTA to arrange workshops on landfill legislation, compliance, and waste classification standards for councillors and officials. These sessions, planned for October 2025, aim to build capacity and ensure better management practices.
Call for Private-Public Partnerships
While the District will continue to enforce compliance and provide technical support, it is clear that municipalities cannot resolve the landfill crisis on their own. The way forward lies in stronger private-public partnerships that must form the backbone of sustainable waste management, bringing in investment, innovation, and expertise to complement the government’s role.
Such partnerships could involve private firms managing sites under concessions, like successful models in Johannesburg’s Pikitup, where tech like waste-to-energy plants reduce landfill reliance. In the Free State, collaborations with companies like EnviroServ could introduce modern tech for monitoring and recycling, cutting costs by 20-30%.
The National Waste Management Strategy 2020 encourages PPPs, with incentives like tax breaks for green investments. Fezile Dabi’s audit could catalyse such deals, attracting R500 million in private funding for upgrades, creating jobs and improving efficiency.
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