Waste Management stratagems on the spotlight

Nico de Jager Prof Marwala and Lungile Dhlamini during a recent Waste Treatment Technology Dialogue.

Bheki Nakana

Nie Cele

In a push to tackle the City’s waste management challenges and illegal dumping, dozens of stakeholders converged at a Waste Treatment Technology Dialogue held at the University of Johannesburg (UJ)in Bunting Road, Milpark.

Top on their agenda was to find an irrevocable solution to this hot potato issue that has bedeviled Jozi and partially the entire Gauteng province for a long time.

Held under the banner of Pikitup, Speaker after speaker raised contentious arguments and presentations containing long term solutions for this sector.

The first salvo was unleashed by Pikitup’s Managing Director, LungileDhlamini, who told the audience that it was painful to see game changing plans being not implemented after an avalanche  rims of document research work was conducted.

“Environment is consistently changing. There is a need to change the conventional methods of dealing with waste management.”

Dhlamini  also pointed out that he is a big supporter of public participation in the sector and argued that its senseless to have same challenges and same stagnant solutions.

He blasted some individuals whom he said were opposed to change.

“We say one thing but continue with the status quo. We have to be disruptive, make enemies along the way and implement what is good for the sector,”Dhlamini said.

Nico  deJager, City’s  Member of the Mayoral Committee for Environment , Infrastructure and Service Delivery, bemoaned the shortage of landfill airspace north of the City.

Furthermore he told the audience that Johannesburg is facing a major challenge of finding sustainable solutions to waste management.

De Jager disclosed that an integrated Waste Management Policy and plan was being developed and will soon be taken for procurement, adding that this will also enable the private sector partnership to assist the City to deal with its challenges around waste treatment and disposal.

According to him,This was done  in an effort to collectively safeguard the environment in a sustainable manner.

“Together we need to transform the City into a place we all want to work, live and play in.”

He stressed the need to ensure the future of Johannesburg is environmentally friendly and sustainable.

“The main objective of today’s dialogue is to achieve just that,” de Jager, said.

On the sidelines, Professor TshilidziMarwala, UJ’s Vice Chancellor Designate, told this publication that keeping the City clean was a mission possible.

He also argued that,rehabilitation of the dump sites was also a key issue.

“Imposing penalties for illegal dumping bylaws is one of the solutions that could change the behavior of the City dwellers,”Marwala argued.