The City of Johannesburg’s Environment and Infrastructure Services Department, through its Waste Management and Regulation Unit, has appointed a service provider to lead the rehabilitation of the decommissioned Kya Sands landfill site.
The landfill site, closed in 2010 after reaching full capacity, has since become a hotspot for widespread illegal dumping, impacting the environment, local businesses, and nearby communities. Smoke from burning waste has further reduced air quality to below 35% in areas such as Fourways, Cedar Lakes, and Bloubosrand, affecting an estimated 80,000 residents.
The R150 million project aims to restore environmental integrity, improve air quality, and safeguard public health. Key interventions will include:
- Clearing and recycling illegally dumped waste.
- Developing and implementing a rehabilitation plan
- Installing security measures such as fencing, lighting, and a guardhouse
- Restoring the landfill’s boundary wall
- Conducting long-term environmental monitoring of water and air quality
Makhosazana Mtshali, Director of the Waste Management and Regulation Unit, said: “This project will restore environmental integrity, improve air quality, and create a safer, healthier space for the community. Public consultation and air quality testing are already underway.”
“The rehabilitation will cover surveying, identification, and quantification of illegal dumping; clearing and recycling dumped waste; developing a rehabilitation plan for the closed landfill; and restoring the boundary wall, among other measures,” she added.
The local community will play a key role by participating in consultations, job opportunities in waste clearing and site monitoring, and benefiting from improved living conditions such as cleaner air, reduced dumping, and safer surroundings.
To ensure sustainability, the City will install security infrastructure to prevent re-dumping, establish long-term air and water quality monitoring, enforce environmental compliance, engage the community in reporting illegal activities, and implement an approved rehabilitation and maintenance plan.
In the long term, the City anticipates significant benefits, including:
- Renewed business confidence in Kya Sands and Bloubosrand.
- Cleaner, safer communities with potential job creation.
- Restoration of the closed landfill and reduced stream pollution.
- Improved biodiversity and compliance with national waste management standards.
- Enhanced community well-being through healthier air, reduced exposure to hazardous waste, and better living conditions.
Through this initiative, the City aims to ensure long-term environmental compliance, curb illegal dumping, and contribute to healthier, more sustainable communities.
SUPPLIED
