The City of Johannesburg’s MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services Department (EISD) Michael Sun has committed to the formation of a multi-departmental task team that will be responsible for finding a solution to the problems facing the Pikitup’s Goudkoppies landfill site.
The MMC was at the site in Devland on January 19. This is after local councillors complained about rising levels of nuisance and crime.
Sun was accompanied by Pikitup MD Bukelwa Njingolo and her team, MMC for Public Safety David Tembe, MMC for Housing Mlungisi Mabaso and Council Speaker Vasco da Gama, as well as local councillors Zakes Mathe (Ward 24) and Juwairiya Kaldine (Ward 18), Samwu representative Thabani Nkosi and his union members team, Peter Ndwandwe, and Tlwaelo Modisane from Home Affairs and members of the community.
The MMC said that landfills, by nature, are meant to assist with waste management, not create problems.
“The Goudkoppies landfill site has lately been the source of complaints ranging from crime to air and water pollution, and the fact that the site now attracts an influx of informal settlement dwellers.
“An old mine shaft in the vicinity has also attracted illegal mining operations, which tend to have criminal elements. The soon-to-be-formed special committee comprised of all responsible stakeholders and community members will plan and map out solutions to the problems in the area. The team will be formed within the next two weeks,” the MMC said.
Just before the commencement of the briefing session, MMC was alerted to another shooting where five people were killed near the landfill.
The MMC and his team had earlier joined a memorial service for the Pikitup employee who died in the shooting. A moment of silence was observed for the slain victims.
The incident was the first to have happened inside this landfill site since its inception more than 30 years ago.
However, the MMC acknowledged that records show that warning signs about the possibility of danger have always been there.
