Deputy Minister Sotyu hands over waste compactor truck worth R3 million to the Masilonyana Local Municipality in Free State
Today, the Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms. Makhotso Sotyu, handed over a waste compactor truck worth nearly R3 million to the Masilonyana Local Municipality in Brandfort, Free State.
The National Waste Management Strategy, which was revised in 2020, focuses on improving household waste collection; diverting waste from landfills; promoting a circular economy and promoting community awareness of the effects of illegal dumping on their own health and on the environment.
Due to insufficient budgets, many local municipalities - including Masilonyana Local Municipality, 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.
On her arrival in Brandfort, Deputy Minister Sotyu inspected the areas experiencing challenges of dumping and insufficient waste collection services and led a clean-up campaign. She was joined by the Executive Mayor of Lejweleputsa District Municipality, Cllr. Veronica Ntakumbana, and Mayor of Masilonyana Local Municipality, Cllr. Dimakatso Modise. Interacting with residents, Sotyu called on the community to play their part in keeping their immediate environment clean through ceasing to illegally dump waste and litter.
“Many of our municipalities struggle with providing waste collection services, eradicating backlogs, removing illegal dumps and meeting landfill site compliance requirement. These challenges have a negative impact on our environment and pose serious health risks to our citizens. We as residents also have a responsibility in keeping our communities clean by not littering and creating hazardous illegal dump sites,” said Deputy Minister Sotyu.
The addition of the compactor truck to the Masilonyana Waste Fleet will significantly improve capacity and scale-up waste collection services for the municipality. The truck is part of the National Yellow Waste and Landfill Management Fleet which the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) has purchased as an intervention to assist selected local municipalities across the country to address illegal dumping and improve waste collection services in un-serviced areas.
“I understand that receiving one vehicle may not be enough to address all the waste management challenges you have. We are well aware that much more is needed to address waste management issues within your communities. It is for this reason that I urge you [Cllr Dimakatso Modise], and all mayors in the country, to take advantage of the MIG policy to allow your local municipalities to purchase various waste management fleet through your Grant allocations,” Sotyu said in her address.
Receiving the truck on behalf of Masilonyana Local Municipality, Mayor, Cllr Dimakatso Modise said, “The addition of this truck will assist the municipality improve waste collection services but also alleviate the financial burden. We’ve been renting waste management fleet from the government garage and now we can utilise that budget in other critical service delivery areas.”
The DFFE has used R44.5-million to purchase 24 vehicles for 20 municipalities across the country, including Masilonyana. The vehicles include skip loader trucks, front-end loaders, compactor trucks, TLBs and other trucks required to transport waste within these areas.
Media enquiries:
Albi Modise
Cell: 083 490 2871
