TIPPING POINT: What a load of rubbish — Gqeberha waste transfer stations buckle under neglect

Gqeberha’s Walmer and Strandfontein waste transfer stations are grappling with severe neglect, leading to overflowing skips, broken-down trucks, and an influx of pests and pollution. Business owners near these facilities have expressed alarm over the deteriorating conditions, which have worsened over the past year. The issues stem from insufficient skips and trucks breaking down, causing refuse to accumulate.

Residents and businesses have been facing repeated disruptions to refuse disposal, with informal waste pickers managing the unfenced facilities due to the lack of gates and security guards. The deployment of a front-end loader to push waste away from the road highlights the urgent need for intervention.

The city’s spokesperson, Sithembiso Soyaya, attributes the problems to frequent truck breakdowns, inadequate security, and poor access control. However, a business owner at the Walmer station claims the situation began with the contractor failing to provide sufficient skips and trucks breaking down repeatedly. Private individuals are now charging people to dump waste, a practice not sanctioned by the municipality.

Informal waste pickers are redirecting residents to the Strandfontein site, where bakkies are lined up, waiting for the contractor to arrive and remove the waste. However, the contractor’s tardiness or absence has led to a backlog of waste. Ward councillors have called for a municipal investigation into the contractor, urging accountability for failing to meet contractual obligations.

While the municipality acknowledges the challenges, including truck breakdowns and inadequate security, it emphasizes ongoing supervision and monitoring of the facilities. The city has requested additional funding to upgrade the sites and ensure compliance with waste storage norms and standards. The timeline for these improvements depends on the approval and disbursement of the additional budget.