The Makhado Municipality has confirmed that scavengers are indeed living on the municipal dumping site outside Louis Trichardt. This is in contravention of their permit conditions to manage the site.

The municipality’s permit conditions clearly state that no people will be allowed to dwell on the dumping site for the obvious health risks such a settlement poses. Yet scavengers are allowed to stay on the Vondeling site in several old mass-refuse containers.

“Most of the scavengers are from Zimbabwe; however, the SAPS and Home Affairs have been contacted to assist in this regard,” said the municipality’s director of community services, Mr Elias Mugari, in response to a media enquiry.

Faced with a similar problem, the Polokwane Municipality decided earlier this year to relocate the squatters on their city dump. They were, however, still allowed to come and work there, but the activities would be regulated and take place during working hours.

As for the Makhado Municipality, it would seem that no regulation is done. Scavengers are seen rummaging through the waste daily. This begs the question whether they are looking for food or something to sell?

In this regard, the municipality’s permit conditions state that disposed waste may be reclaimed, but that the reclamation “shall not interfere with the daily operational activities of the site.” It goes on to state that the permit holder, which is the municipality, shall keep a record of the volume and nature of the waste materials which are reclaimed and that information should be contained in an annual report. It is not known whether the municipality has such a record.

As for waste management on the site, the permit condition for the site also states that it must be fenced to a minimum height of 1.8m to curtail the spreading of windblown paper and plastic materials. The municipality also admitted that they are not in compliance in this regard, since “the fence has been damaged by [the] scavengers.”

In the meantime, Mugari said that arrangements are at an advanced stage for the final disposal of the old refuse mass containers in which the scavengers live, in the form of an auction. Where the scavengers will then stay is uncertain.