WATCH: Rietfontein landfill site reopens without community’s knowledge
The landfill site was closed again on Tuesday.
Kwa-Thema – The MMC for Environment and Waste Management Services, Eunice Matloga, met with disgruntled community members at the Rietfontein landfill on Tuesday morning to hear their grievances.
Her visit came after the landfill started reoperations without the community’s knowledge. The site was closed in March after the residents of Kwa-Thema Ext 4 complained of flies caused by the foul stench.
That month, former MMC Brandon Pretorius closed the site and promised to meet with the community before it reopened.
ALSO CHECK: Rietfontein landfill re-opened for business
On May 24, the landfill started operating, and the community complained they were unaware of this because there had not been any meeting.
The Ekurhuleni acting divisional head for waste management services, Victor Nesengane, said after the previous meeting with Pretorius, the landfill remained closed till last Wednesday.
“There were activities during the period, including meeting with councillors where the department gave feedback and consulted them on the way forward,” he said.
ALSO CHECK: Rietfontein landfill site closes due to foul smell affecting nearby areas
Nesengane said they took several teams to the landfill to deal with its rehabilitation.
“We have two cells inside the landfill, and one was near the community, which we suspended. We have also rehabilitated and found ways to control the smell, and we can say the smell is now better and no longer that serious,” he said.
Matloga said that the department was still waiting to meet with the community.
She added that she was told the landfill had reopened because it had been there since 1997, long before the houses.
On Monday, the community members went to the site to close it down and turned away four trucks and used eight to block the entrance to the landfill.
The conclusion on Monday between the MMC and community members was that the site would be closed, and there would be a community meeting on Monday.
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