VIDEO: Blunder causes a big stink at Weltrevreden Landfill Site
New contractor was not aware that he had won the tender.
The temporary closure of the Weltevreden Landfill Site has not only resulted in residents dumping rubbish where they shouldn’t, but has also raised concerns about the environmental impact.
The landfill site was closed on Friday. According to DA ward councillor for Ward 97 in Brakpan, Brandon Pretorius, the closure of the site is the result of miscommunication between the City of Ekurhuleni and the site’s new contractor.
He told the Herald he was shocked but not surprised by the incompetence of the ANC-led Ekurhuleni administration.
“I inspected the site on Tuesday morning after receiving numerous calls from residents and business owners in the area telling me that the site was closed and no dumping was allowed,” he said.
“After further investigation it was confirmed by a municipal official that the site has been closed until further notice and that all members of the public and municipal trucks would be shown away to other landfill sites.
“This exercise could probably cost the metro millions if not resolved soon.
“The reason for the closure is that the contract for the current operator Sungu Sungu has ended and the new contractor was not aware that he had won the tender and he was informed late that they will be the new contractors on the site.
“This contract awarded for the next three years probably amounts to millions a month.”
Pretorius explained that this has already cost the metro as the leachate pumps have been stolen and more damage has occurred as security is nowhere to be seen on site except for two guards posted at the main entrance.
Leachate is the liquid that drains or “leaches” from a landfill.
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“The leachate is of particular concern as it holds dire environmental health concerns if this untreated toxic water reaches the water table underground,” said Pretorius.
“This makes one wonder if the new contractor is capable of managing this site.
“The closure of the site has also now caused an increase in illegal dumping as residents are now dumping all over.
“I urge residents to please avoid dumping their waste illegally as this has a negative effect on our town.”
He added that the DA would be submitting written questions to council about processes followed in the awarding of the tender.
The site’s closure had also piqued the interest of the Brakpan branch of Afriforum.
The civil rights organisation undertakes regular audits of landfill sites as part of its national project to measure the standard of landfill sites in the country.
“We were contacted on July 1 and told that operations had stopped,” said Drummond Doig, vicechairperson of Afriforum Brakpan.
“Asking to remain anonymous due to fears for her safety, as well as not wanting to jeopardise her job, the person informed us that the contractor who has been running the landfill site was packing up their machinery.”
Further investigations by Afriforum Brakpan revealed the following.
• Sungu Sungu, the current operator of the landfill site, did not have their operating permit renewed by the Ekurhuleni Metro.
• They were given a letter on July 1 telling them that they had to immediately cease operations and remove all of their plant, machinery and staff from the site.
• Operations at the site then ceased.
• Municipal rubbish collections continued in the meantime and until the site was closed on Friday, the rubbish was being dumped on the site, but there was no treatment and processing done. The waste was not compacted or covered.
• For the rest of the week, until the site was closed on Friday, trucks and bakkies, were seen carting loads of rubbish out of the landfill site and taking it to the Plastic City informal settlement.
• On Thursday, the leachate pumps were stolen. In total there were four special stainless steel pumps valued at about R50 000 each and the supply cabling stolen.
• The stormwater drainage contractor also had their contract terminated and are now off site.
The leachate overflow will run into the stormwater channels if it isn’t pumped into the lined leachate dam.
The licence to operate the landfill site clearly states that no leachate is permitted to leave the waste site and must be contained in a properly lined leachate dam
• The new contractor was only appointed on Wednesday. They are still not on site due to the fact that they were apparently not aware that they had been awarded the licence to operate the site.
They also allegedly don’t have the plant and equipment to run a large landfill site such as Weltevreden.
“AfriForum Brakpan is deeply concerned about the current state of things,” said Doig.
“We are in close conversation with the Green Scorpions.
“I fail to see how this could have been allowed to happen.
“The sheer stupidity and incompetence is mind-boggling.
“Once again, Ekurhuleni is doing what they do best, messing up. “We are also investigating as to how the new contractor was appointed.”
Doig urged the public not to dump their rubbish in the open areas of town.
“The Rietfontein Landfill Site in Springs is 10 km away from Weltevreden; rather use that until such time as this mess is sorted out,” he noted.
Comment was requested from the metro, but none had been received at the time of going to print.
The landfill site was still closed at the time of going to press
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