More than R145 million spent on waste management in Emfuleni has come under renewed scrutiny after the Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs admitted illegal dumping, overflowing refuse and deteriorating conditions continue to plague communities, while the Democratic Alliance accused the municipality of wasting over R112 million on refuse collection services that never materialised.
Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Infrastructure Development, Jacob Mamabolo, revealed that Emfuleni had spent more than R33 million on waste management between 2021 and 2026, yet communities across the Vaal continue to battle worsening refuse collection failures and growing dumping sites.
The crisis has now triggered renewed political pressure and public outrage, with the Democratic Alliance claiming the municipality may have spent as much as R112 million on refuse collection services without waste being properly collected.
The DA’s Emfuleni mayoral candidate, Kingsol Chabalala, alleged that millions were spent on contractors, overtime and fleet rentals while residents continued living among piles of uncollected rubbish.
“Emfuleni residents are being financially abused. There is absolutely no value for money spending R112,000,000 on the non-collection of waste,” Chabalala said.
He further questioned whether procurement processes were properly followed and whether corruption or mismanagement could be linked to the municipality’s ongoing waste crisis. Despite previous clean-up interventions by the provincial government, including the deployment of infrastructure teams under the “Phakama Vaal” programme, illegal dumping and refuse accumulation have continued to spread across parts of Emfuleni.
Mamabolo admitted that previous progress had not been sustained through the municipality’s own waste management systems and warned that stronger coordinated action was now required.
“We are currently finalising consultations with national, provincial and municipal stakeholders as we prepare for a coordinated intervention in Emfuleni,” said Mamabolo.
The MEC said the provincial government was deliberately shifting away from political point-scoring and focusing instead on stabilising service delivery failures affecting residents.
“We have taken a deliberate decision to move away from the blame game. The challenges we face are complex and require the full cooperation of all three spheres of government,” added Mamabolo.
Previously, The Star reported that illegal dumping in Emfuleni had escalated to the point where waste was spilling into roads and public spaces, while dumpsites near community facilities raised growing health concerns. During an oversight visit in Sebokeng Zone 11, refuse was found piled near a clinic, with residents describing unbearable conditions caused by the stench, flies and persistent dumping. Residents also complained that waste had spread into parks and roads, forcing motorists and pedestrians to navigate around rubbish.
Chabalala said communities were being forced to live in conditions that posed serious health risks.
“Our suburbs, CBDs, and townships remain buried under piles of uncollected refuse, while illegal dumping sites continue to spiral out of control,” he said.
Previously, municipal spokesperson Makhosonke Sangweni defended the municipality’s waste management interventions, saying additional compactor trucks had recently been added to the fleet to improve refuse collection.
The provincial government said its intervention in Emfuleni forms part of the broader Local Government Turnaround Strategy aimed at improving governance, infrastructure management and service delivery across struggling municipalities in Gauteng.
The Star
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