Five landfills and most waste transfer stations in a major South African city closed because it did not pay service providers

Five landfills and most waste transfer stations in Ekurhuleni are closed because the city did not pay service providers.

Khathutshelo Rasilingwane, a member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, warned that this can lead to a waste crisis in the city.

The City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality is a Category A metropolitan in Gauteng and forms the core eastern region of the Witwatersrand.

The commercial and industrial towns in the municipality include Germiston, Kempton Park, Boksburg, Benoni, Alberton, Brakpan, Springs, Edenvale, and Bedfordview.

It also incorporates many prominent townships, including Tembisa, Katlehong, Vosloorus, Daveyton, Kwa-Thema, and Tsakane.

Historically driven by gold mining, Ekurhuleni has transitioned into South Africa’s primary manufacturing hub.

Its economy relies heavily on industrial production, including structural steel, heavy machinery, chemical processing, automotive components, and food production.

It is also home to the O.R. Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, making Ekurhuleni the entry point for international freight and air travel in South Africa.

Despite its importance to the South African economy, Ekurhuleni has faced numerous governance and service delivery problems.

Since the 2021 municipal elections yielded a hung council, Ekurhuleni has experienced recurring instability driven by fragile coalition politics.

This, in turn, has harmed its governance, resulting in increased debt to bulk service suppliers, operational disruptions, and service delivery problems.

It has also seen much of its infrastructure deteriorate, including its water systems, road network, and electricity grid.

Simply put, the municipality is collapsing, and residents are experiencing this in declining living standards.

Service providers in Ekurhuleni not paid

In the most recent blow to the City of Ekurhuleni, five landfills and most waste transfer stations were closed.

This, Rasilingwane said, was because the city did not pay its service providers. “The municipality failed to fulfil its most basic responsibilities,” she said.

She highlighted that residents pay their municipal accounts and deserve reliable services in return.

“They should not have to live with the consequences of a municipality that cannot get its financial and administrative affairs in order,” she said.

Rasilingwane called on the municipality to account for every outstanding payment and provide a clear timeline for restoring normal waste management operations.

“Residents should be able to see where the process is failing and hold the municipality accountable,” she said.

She further wants to implement a freeze on non-essential expenditure and hiring until outstanding payments to contractors providing essential services have been addressed.

“Essential services must come first, and municipal spending must reflect that priority,” Rasilingwane said.

“The City must assess the affected sites, disclose the reasons for the closures and communicate a credible plan to restore operations.”

“Residents cannot be expected to wait indefinitely while the municipality fails to resolve a problem that threatens the cleanliness and safety of their communities.”