Note to Editors: Please note Hannah Lidgett, MPL sound bite in English
A response (view here) to a written parliamentary question by the DA has revealed that KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) faces a fully preventable environmental and public health crisis, with more than a third of landfill sites found to be non-compliant.
The reply from KZN’s Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) department shows that 13 landfill sites have been issued non-compliance directives, three of which have been referred to criminal enforcement. The DA has submitted a follow-up question to determine the exact non-compliance findings at all sites, particularly those already in the criminal process, and to request clear timelines and remedial plans.
According to EDTEA, the non-compliant sites are located in Vryheid, Newcastle, Emtshezi, Mpendle, Paulpietersburg, Hamberdale, Oatlands, Nongoma, Richmond, Harding, New England Road, Manguzi, Acaciaville, Pomeroy and Pongola.
What EDTEA describes mirrors what KZN communities have long complained about. This includes old unlined trenches with no leachate or stormwater systems, poor leachate management even where lined cells exist, lack of groundwater or surface-water monitoring, poor covering and compacting of waste that leads to fires and disease exposure along with weak access control allowing unauthorised – sometimes medical – waste. Equipment failures and poor record-keeping have worsened these issues, directly affecting health, water sources, and the environment.
Criminal enforcement is under way where municipalities ignored directives – specifically at Hamberdale (Umdoni), Vryheid (Abaqulusi), and Mpendle (Impendle). The DA welcomes these steps but insists that they lead to swift, visible remediation.
While a few sites have improved, many municipalities still cite resource shortages as waste volumes rise. Landfill management remains low on the priority list despite being a revenue-generating service. The DA argues that at least part of landfill service revenue should be prioritised for operational and compliance costs.
As land availability and capacity shrink, KZN risks an escalating waste-management crisis. The DA has proposed measures including;
• Promoting recycling and waste minimisation (such as refunds or deposits on glass and private hazardous-waste collection)
• Setting sector-specific reduction targets
• Licensing and inspecting all landfills
• Expanding enforcement capacity
• Encouraging waste-to-energy initiatives to reduce landfill growth and;
• Improving medical and mining waste management under the Waste Act.
KZN residents deserve clean, well-managed waste facilities, transparent water-monitoring data, and consistent enforcement that protects public health. The DA, as part of the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), will continue to fight for every resident’s constitutional right to an environment that is not harmful to health or well-being.