Rustenburg Shines in a Sea of Waste

Rustenburg – AfriForum’s landfill audit, which assessed 135 sites nationwide, found that the majority of municipalities in North West have failed to maintain even basic landfill requirements as outlined in the National Environmental Management: Waste Act (No. 59 of 2008).

The two sites that passed the audit were Rustenburg’s Waterval landfill (94%) and the privately managed Mooinooi landfill (also 94%). Most other sites scored well below the required 80% compliance mark, with some — such as those in Swartruggens, Koster, and Ventersdorp — scoring near zero.

The audit measured 33 key compliance factors, including fencing, fire control, access management, and the handling of medical waste. The results paint a worrying picture of poor infrastructure, mismanagement, and a lack of staff.

According to AfriForum’s Marico District Coordinator, Petrus Coetzee, “Most landfill sites are in a shameful condition, mainly due to municipalities’ failure to repair and maintain infrastructure and equipment. Many sites don’t even have personnel to manage them, and with no access control, people end up living on the dumps.”

Coetzee added that AfriForum branches will continue to pressure municipalities to establish waste monitoring committees — bringing together local government and community stakeholders to find solutions. The organisation will also meet with Minister of Environmental Affairs Barbara Creecy and submit the audit report to the Green Scorpions for further investigation into non-compliant municipalities.

AfriForum emphasised that effective waste management is not just an environmental obligation, but a matter of public health and dignity. “Communities deserve clean, safe surroundings — not dangerous, burning heaps of rubbish,” the organisation said.

Photo: AfriForum’s audit revealed severe neglect at most North West landfill sites.