The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy will hand over Waste Collection and Landfill Management Fleet to Merafong and Rand West Local Municipalities on Monday, 30 May 2022, at Khutsong Community Hall, Merafong City Local Municipality in the West Rand District Municipality. 

This national waste management intervention seeks to address waste collection issues in un-serviced areas, illegal dumping and landfill operations in selected municipalities across all provinces.

As part of this intervention, the Minister will handover Waste Collection and Landfill Management Fleet also known as the Yellow Fleet to Merafong City Local Municipality (1x Skip loader Truck) and Rand West City Local Municipality (1x Front End Loader) amounting to a combined budget of nearly R4-million rand. 

Due to insufficient budget, most local municipalities are facing serious challenges with waste collection services and as a result, some of the residents and businesses dump waste in open spaces resulting in illegal dumps.  Waste disposal facilities in most municipalities are also experiencing serious non-compliance as waste is not properly managed due to lack of fleet and equipment. In an attempt to assist the municipalities, the department in 2018/19 engaged with COGTA and National Treasury to enable municipalities to procure waste collection and landfill operation vehicles through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG). 

Minister Creecy will also embark on a Good Green Deeds clean-up campaign as part of her visit to Merafong Local Municipality. 

The Mayors of Merafong City, Cllr Nozuko Best and Rand West City, Cllr Gladys Khoza Local Municipalities, will join the Minister for the handover of the fleet and clean-up campaign.

Members of the media are invited to attend the fleet handover as per the details below:

Date:                                      30 May 2022

Venue:                                   Khutsong Community Hall, 2 Sompane Drive, Merafong City Local Municipality 

Time:                                      10:00

To RSVP, contact: Peter Mbelengwa 082 611 8197 / pmbelengwa@dffe.gov.za or Noma Bolani –   072 927 0636 / nbolani@dffe.gov.za

For media enquiries please contact Albi Modise on 083 490 2879

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY, FISHERIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT