11 Sep 2023

Kgatleng leadership has the Pilane landfill site expansion among its top priority projects proposed for the District Development Plan (DDP) 9 projects.

The leadership justified that the landfill, which was commissioned in 1995, had reached its 15-year lifespan and was now a health hazard.

Giving a report during the Special Full Council meeting to discuss and approve the NDP 12/DDP 9 project proposals from across the Kgatleng district, principal economics officer Mr Kesetsenao Tshito said because of the economic recession that resulted in the government not being able to afford the construction of a new landfill, the facility had turned into operating as a dumping site and had reached a level that was unsightly, looking from the A1 road.

Mr Tshito said the lives of the community members were endangered by scavengers who tended to burn the landfill contents, exposing the surrounding villages to hazardous smoke.

Different councillors supported the motion of the landfill being among the top priority projects, saying it had been an eyesore for a long time.

They however called for the relocation of the landfill, citing that its expansion would still cause problems in the near future.

However, Kgatleng District Council secretary, Ms Boikhutso Matenge stated that the council had entered into a service contract for the design of the landfill expansion, which would cover 10.7 hectares sufficient to yield a lifespan of more than 15 years.

She said if relocation was to be done, they would have to negotiate with relevant stakeholders. BOPA