01 Aug 2021

Local authorities have not been able to develop solid waste management plans as per the provisions of the Waste Management Act of 1998 due to inadequate skills capacity and financial resources, Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Mr Mabuse Pule has said.

Responding to a question in Parliament recently, Mr Pule said due to population growth and economic advancement, waste had grown in terms of quantity and complexity and therefore required a fully-fledged department to facilitate and coordinate waste management planning at district level.

“Development of waste management plans by local authorities is a statutory requirement as stipulated under Section 9 of the Waste Management Act of 1998. Waste Management Plan is a tool which could be used to improve solid waste management,” said Mr Pule.

He also indicated that the Integrated Waste Management Policy that would be presented by Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism for Parliament’s approval recommended for provision of an enabling environment for proper waste management planning that would support waste recovery and value addition to waste.

Additionally, Mr Pule noted that the development of local waste management plans required extensive stakeholder consultations, therefore more time was needed to engage with the relevant stakeholders for development of the plans.

Jwaneng-Mabutsane MP, Mr Mephato Reatile, had wanted to know whether development of solid waste management plans by local authorities was a statutory requirement under the Waste Management Act of 1998.

Mr Reatile also asked the minister to state why local authorities had continuously failed to develop solid waste management plans during the last 22 years and when such plans would be in place. Ends