Illegal dumping represents a significant challenge for Newcastle and surrounding areas. However, there’s a glimmer of hope as Newcastle Municipality, along with nine other municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal, are poised to benefit from a R10 million initiative aimed at tackling this issue head-on.
This comes as the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (KZN COGTA) has kickstarted the War on Illegal Dumping initiative, striving to eliminate illegal dump sites and uphold cleanliness in public spaces.
The initiative, spearheaded by KZN COGTA MEC Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi, will span across 10 municipalities in the province, creating job opportunities for 450 individuals over a 12-month period through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).
According to KZN COGTA, the participating municipalities include:
- Newcastle Municipality
- eNdumeni (Dundee) Municipality
- Alfred Duma (Ladysmith) Municipality
- Abaqulusi (Vryheid) Municipality
- eThekwini Metro
- Greater Kokstad Municipality
- Msunduzi Local Municipality
- Ray Nkonyeni Municipality
- KwaDukuza Municipality
- uMhlathuze Municipality.
Discussing the project, MEC Sithole-Moloi expressed, “As a department, we have allocated a budget of R10 million through the EPWP to facilitate this initiative. The budget will cover stipends for all participants and provide necessary tools and Personal Protective Equipment. Our primary goal is to eliminate illegal dump sites, and transform them into community gardens and recreational areas. We have identified various areas within these municipalities, including townships and locations near schools, hospitals, and sports facilities.”
With a substantial budget allocated to the project, Sithole-Moloi affirmed that her department would closely monitor its progress and consider extending the initiative for another 12 months if necessary to achieve the desired outcomes.
Additionally, she stated, “We urge municipalities to support this War on Illegal dumping by providing essential assistance and tools such as waste bins and removal services. Communities also play a vital role by adhering to municipal by-laws and regulations. We are committed to enhancing our communities, as the consequences of illegal dumping are severe, impacting our rivers and oceans, posing a threat to marine life. Also, illegal dumping block drainage systems, leading to flooding. Therefore, this initiative aims to address all those issues.”
As the 450 newly appointed EPWP employees begin their duties, it raises questions about the potential impact of this initiative. Do you believe it will create a cleaner environment within the aforementioned municipalities?
Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Comments 3
Would we need to so much money to be spent on something that can be controlled? If only we were not living amongst pigs that do not value cleanliness and hygiene., some people do not deserve a space in this planet.
Good day .
The municipality should address the dumping in the early stages . But they don’t and wait till it’s a job big enough for them to call contractors to clean up .
We should have yearly elections. Seems the government and municipality wakes up just before election time.