Domestic waste management practice in the North West province of South Africa

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1 The Sustainable City IX, Vol Domestic waste management practice in the North West province of South Africa F. R. K. Kadama School of Management Sciences, North-West University, South Africa Abstract The study was a follow-up on one conducted in It adopted a descriptive longitudinal research design with a purpose of assessing changes in the approach to domestic waste management over a period of eight years. Through stratified sampling, 50% of the municipalities in the province were selected to participate in the study. An interview guide was applied to collect data in semi-structured interviews. The responses obtained were compared to those obtained in the previous study. It emerged that there was reasonable improvement in the manner in which some waste management activities were carried out; however, the practice in several waste management activities such as staffing, data collection, curbing illegal dumping, tariff determination and revenue collection did not comply with international best practice. Consequently, it was concluded that domestic waste management practice in the province was not sustainable. A number of recommendations were suggested. Keywords: domestic waste, municipalities, public good, non-excludable, sustainable. 1 Introduction Domestic waste management is a public good that entails the design and control of systems responsible for the provision of a non-excludable service that benefits the entire society. In Kadama [1] domestic waste management is described as being non-excludable for the reason that once provided to a section of society, it becomes unreasonable to deny it to others; while at the same time it is said to be non-rivalled for the reason that any resident can enjoy it without diminishing the benefit to anyone else. The Bill of Rights outlined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa [2], inter alia provides for the right of individuals to an doi: /sc141112

2 1324 The Sustainable City IX, Vol. 2 environment that is not harmful; furthermore, that the environment should be protected for the benefit of current and future generations. In section 152, of South Africa [2], this commitment is reiterated with the emphasis that local government should ensure provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner. Effectively, the Act echoes the United Nations (UN) call for sustainable development that gained momentum in the 1980s. South Africa [2] establishes three spheres of government in South Africa namely; national, provincial and local government. It empowers local government to assume a developmental role committed to creating sustainable human settlements where service delivery begins at the local government level homes, streets and communities. The legislation contained in the constitution is implemented through enabling acts of parliament and regulations (Fourie and Opperman [3]). In as far as waste management in South Africa is concerned, the relevant enabling acts of parliament include Act No. 59 [4], Act No. 56 [5] and Act No. 32 [6]. Section 9 of Act No. 59 [4] squarely places the function of waste management in communities in the hands of municipalities; in doing so, it expects municipalities to adhere to established provincial and national standards. Whereas relevant legislation and enabling instruments; administrative systems and human resources are in place, CSIR [7] notes that municipalities in South Africa are still faced with challenges which negatively impact on the presence and quality of waste management services rendered to the extent that operating standards in many waste facilities have declined and so have levels of legal compliance. Further, CSIR [7] notes that the low priority accorded to waste management does not help much to alleviate the problem and has the potential to impact negatively on the environment. 1.1 Background to the study This paper compares the findings of two studies conducted by the author in the municipalities of the North West province (NW) in 2006 and 2014 with the aim of determining whether there has been any improvement in waste management practice in the NW over the period. In the 2006 study, the null hypothesis adopted then (H o ): The existing domestic waste management practice in the North West province is environmentally sound and sustainable was rejected; while the alternate hypothesis (H 1 ): The existing domestic waste practice in the North West province is not environmentally sound and sustainable was accepted. The six research questions investigated in 2006 revealed that in all instances, waste management practice in the NW did not comply with international best practice. However, at that time, there were mitigating circumstances noted; as such, it was concluded that while the domestic waste management practice was not compliant with international best practice, there were indications to suggest that the province was headed in the right direction in as far as domestic waste management was concerned. The census study conducted in 2006 revealed that the NW municipalities could be categorised into three strata High, Medium and Low based on their level of performance in waste management. The author notes that whereas some

3 The Sustainable City IX, Vol municipalities have conducted studies on aspects related to waste management, there has been no follow up on the 2006 study at the provincial level. 1.2 Problem statement There has been no follow up on the 2006 study; consequently, planners and decision makers in the municipalities and at provincial level may not have been supported by a well-informed control system. There is therefore a need for follow up studies to assess whether or not there has been any improvement in the implementation of waste management activities since Aim of the study The aim of the study was to determine the progress achieved in domestic waste management by NW municipalities since Objectives of the study The objectives of the study were to: 1. Compare the waste management activities in the municipalities in 2006 and 2014 to determine whether or not there has been improvement in waste management. 2. Establish factors that led to poor service in domestic waste management. 3. Recommend measures to minimise the challenges experienced in domestic waste management. 2 Research method A longitudinal study research design was adopted for the study. Longitudinal studies are observational studies in which data is repeatedly gathered from the same subjects over a long period (Leedy and Ormrod [8]). 2.1 Research instrument In both studies (2006 and 2014) data was collected through semi structured interviews; an interview guide was developed and applied to collect data. 2.2 Population of the study The 20 local municipalities of the NW constituted the population in both studies. In 2006, all municipalities participated in the survey, as such, it was a census study. However, due to resource constraints, a census study could not be repeated in 2014; for that matter the researcher opted to work on a sample of municipalities selected as follows. Through stratified sampling, municipalities were categorised into three strata based on the standard of waste management services rendered High (I), Medium (II) and Low (III). From each stratum, three municipalities were purposively selected; altogether nine municipalities participated in the study. The

4 1326 The Sustainable City IX, Vol. 2 respondents in the survey were purposively selected; the researcher targeted managers who were directly in charge of the portfolio of waste management. 3 Findings of the study The findings and discussion that follow are in respect of human resources concerned with waste management and waste management activities in the local municipalities of the NW. The order of presentation and discussion of findings follows the order of enquiry in the interview guide. The findings are presented, as may be deemed appropriate, in narrative form, charts or tables. 3.1 Substantive managers in waste management The findings indicate that in 2006, 16% of the municipalities did not have substantive managers for waste management while 11% did not have managers in The concerned municipalities belong to Stratum III. At the time of the study they were not providing domestic waste services to the residents. In one of these municipalities, there had been an attempt to provide domestic waste collection services; however, the endeavour was abandoned when they realised that they did not have a proper landfill site. 3.2 Qualifications of substantive managers The findings indicate that in both 2006 and 2014, 84% of the managers had tertiary level qualifications. In follow up enquiries during the interviews it emerged that many of the managers had improved on their qualifications since 2006 while others were registered for further studies. 3.3 Workers engaged in waste management The findings indicate that in both 2006 and 2014, 11% of the municipalities did not have workers committed to waste management. The study revealed that in the period between 2006 and 2014, the staff complement in 21% of the municipalities had dropped by an average of 14%. In follow-up enquiries, it emerged that this reduction was due to natural attrition. Due to budgetary constraints, municipalities were finding it difficult to replace staff that resigned, retired or passed on. 3.4 Work shifts In 2006, there was only one shift per day in 100% of the municipalities that provided domestic waste services. A change is noted in 2014 where there was one shift per day in 96% of the municipalities while there were two shifts per day in 4% of the municipalities. This change is welcome for the reason that equipment is maximally utilised while employment opportunities are cost effectively created.

5 The Sustainable City IX, Vol Having access to weighbridges The findings indicate that in 2006 only 4% of the municipalities had access to weighbridges while in 2014 the figure increased to 8%. This implies that currently 92% of information on municipalities waste load is estimated and therefore not reliable for planning purposes. 3.6 Provide curb-side domestic waste collection In both 2006 and 2014, curb-side services were available in 90% of the municipalities. The study sought to establish whether there were any changes with regard to area covered by curb-side services and also weekly load collected in the nine municipalities investigated; the findings are illustrated in the charts that follow Percentage change A B c D E F G Municipality Figure 1: Percentage change in area where curb-side services are provided. The findings indicate that in 44% of the municipalities sampled, there was improvement in the provision of curb-side services and weekly waste load collected. From the interviews, it emerged that these improvements could be attributed to the following factors: acquisition of more vehicles to transport waste; improvement in infrastructure; and entering into public private partnerships.

6 1328 The Sustainable City IX, Vol. 2 Percentage change A B C D E F G H I Municipality Figure 2: Percentage change in weekly waste load collected. 3.7 Mode of transport for waste The study noted that in both 2006 and 2014 compactor trucks and tractors were used in waste collection in municipalities. It sought to establish whether there were any observable trends to indicate preference for a particular mode of transport. The findings are illustrated in the Figures 3 and 4. From Figures 3 and 4, it is clear that the use of tractors for transportation of waste was on the decline; municipalities were increasingly opting for compactor trucks. Compactor trucks carry greater loads and are much faster than tractors. With compactor trucks, it is possible to render service to more households in far less time than would be the case with tractors; thus, compactor trucks are more cost-effective than tractors. From the interviews it emerged that the adoption of compactor trucks was facilitated by improved road infrastructure in townships and in some rural areas. Tractors are mostly used in areas where the road infrastructure is poorly maintained such as in informal settlements. Of the municipalities interviewed in 2014, 78% indicated that they used pickups and tipper trucks to clear illegal dumping spots.

7 The Sustainable City IX, Vol percentage of waste load A 2006 A 2014 B 2006 B 2014 C 2006 C 2014 D 2006 D 2014 E 2006 E 2014 F 2006 F 2014 G 2006 G 2014 H 2006 H 2014 I 2006 I 2006 Municipality Year Figure 3: Percentage of waste load collected using tractors. Percentage of waste load A 2006 A 2014 B 2006 B 2014 C 2006 C 2014 D 2006 D 2014 E 2006 E 2014 F 2006 F 2014 G 2006 G 2014 H 2006 H 2014 I 2006 I 2014 Municipality Year Figure 4: Percentage of waste load collected using compactor trucks.

8 1330 The Sustainable City IX, Vol Restrictions on quantity of waste placed at curb-side An analysis of the results from the sample indicates that in 2006, restrictions on the quantity of waste placed at the curb-side existed in 22% of the municipalities while in 2014 the figure increased to 33%. Although the observed trend was in the right direction, the magnitude of change leaves a lot to be desired. However, restrictions on the quantity of waste placed at the curb-side by households have in some cases resulted in illegal dumping as discussed in section Illegal dumping of waste In both 2006 and 2014, all municipalities indicated that illegal dumping of waste was on the increase; it was a matter of serious concern as it negatively impacted on their budgets as they had to acquire capital equipment such as tipper trucks, pick-ups and truck loading back-hoes. Illegal dumping was particularly high in the informal settlements and low income dominated residential areas where residents lacked means to transport garden waste and building rubble to designated points. Kadama [1] observes that in one of the townships of NW, some yards had makeshift structures that were designed to accommodate tenants thereby creating a situation where you would have more than one household per yard. Such yards are described as collective or communal living quarters for the reason that certain facilities are shared by groups of individual or households (Statistics South Africa, [9]). In the interviews, it emerged that collective living quarters were common in many townships in the NW; furthermore, that in cases where restrictions on the quantity of waste delivered to curb-sides are enforced, most of the waste generated in collective living quarters is illegally dumped Prosecution of waste related offenders In 2006 there were no prosecutions of waste related offenders in all the municipalities that provided waste management services. The following reasons were advanced for the lack of prosecutions: 1. The existing bye-laws were obsolete and ineffective. The fines collected from offenders were far less than what it cost it cost the municipalities to prosecute offenders. 2. The waste management divisions lacked both human and material resources to patrol, arrest and prosecute offenders. They mostly relied on other divisions such as the traffic department to handle this function. However, the other divisions did not consider prosecution of waste related offenses as their core responsibility, as such, they tended to neglect it. 3. Illegal dumping happens mostly at night, as such, municipalities would have to allocate resources for night shifts. Due to budgetary constraints, night shifts could not be considered. In 2014, only 22% of the municipalities surveyed indicated that they had reviewed their bye-laws while 11% indicated that they had started prosecuting offenders. Whereas it may be said that there has been some progress in as far as prosecution of waste related offenders is concerned, one needs to emphasise that

9 The Sustainable City IX, Vol a lot more needs to be done; otherwise, illegal dumping will continue unabated and with impunity Types of landfills in the province The study analysed the state of the landfills in 2006 and 2014; the findings are illustrated in Figure 5. Landfills in the province Series1 A Open dumps B Controlled C Sanitary Type of landfill Year Figure 5: Types of landfills in the province. Kadama [1] established that landfills in the NW could be grouped into three categories: A open-dumps; B were controlled landfills which were fenced and had periodic soil cover; and C were sanitary landfills. Landfills in category A were not permitted while those in B and C were permitted. Of the three, only sanitary landfills complied with international best practice. The number of open-dumps remained the same in 2006 and 2014; however, this would not have been the case if the construction of a sanitary landfill had not stalled due to lack of funds in one of the municipalities. It is expected that all the three of the open-dumps in that municipality will be closed upon completion of the sanitary landfill. The observed trend is a step in the right direction; waste has been diverted from unsuitable landfills to those that comply with international best practice Revenue versus expenditure in waste management The findings indicate in both 2006 and 2014, the recurrent expenditure in domestic waste management exceeded revenue collected from domestic waste services user charges. On the average revenue collected covered 78% of the municipalities

10 1332 The Sustainable City IX, Vol. 2 recurrent domestic waste management budgets; the shortfall would be co-funded from other sources by councils. From the interviews it was discerned that the failure to breakeven could be attributed to anyone or a combination of the following factors: 1. Failure to bill residents for services rendered. 2. Lack of formal addresses for delivery of bills. 3. Revenue not effectively collected. 4. No follow-up on defaulters to pay their bills. 5. Service charges (tariffs) too low for municipalities to recover costs incurred while rendering the service. Furthermore, that municipal councillors were required to ensure that during the yearly review of tariffs for basic services the following factors were taken into consideration: 1. Tariffs should be reasonable and affordable for the people. 2. Tariffs should be computed based on a sliding scale so that the rich crosssubsidise the poor. 3. The indigent households. 4. Municipalities should be able to recover most (if not all) of the costs of providing the service. From the above, it is evident that the determination of tariffs is politically influenced rather than computed basing on operational variables. As such, without infusions from government grants and co-funding from rates and other services, operations in waste management would not be sustainable for most municipalities in the NW Conclusion On the one hand, it is evident that reasonable improvement occurred in the following activities: number of households provided with curb-side collection services; choice of vehicles used to transport waste; and types of landfills in use and under construction. On the other hand, there has been little or no improvement in the following activities: human resource complement; implementation of work shifts; data collection; restrictions on quantity of waste generated; curbing illegal dumping; and determination of tariffs and revenue collection. Therefore the null hypothesis the existing domestic waste management practice in the North West is environmentally sound and sustainable has to be rejected while the alternate hypothesis the existing domestic waste practice in the North West is not environmentally sound and sustainable should be accepted. 4 Recommendations of the study In view of the above findings and conclusion, this study proposes the following recommendations to the Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs in the NW:

11 The Sustainable City IX, Vol There should be adequately staffed waste management divisions in all municipalities. 2. Municipalities that are currently not offering waste management services should not construct landfills but consider establishing transfer stations from where waste would be transported to existing sanitary landfills as suggested in Kadama [10]. 3. Municipalities that are currently not offering waste management services should consider hiring collection trucks from neighbouring municipalities to work night shifts; at the same time enter into public private partnerships to service rural areas. 4. Municipalities should desist from the tendency of acquiring more trucks for the purpose of extending services to more households; they should consider using the trucks they have in night shifts. 5. All municipalities should have weighbridges for capturing accurate data for planning purposes. 6. Where possible tractors should be replaced by compactor trucks. 7. Municipalities should drive the campaign of reducing domestic waste. 8. Municipalities should be facilitated to establish fully equipped anti-dumping units with powers to prosecute and issue fines to offenders. 9. Funds should urgently be made available to complete the landfill in Pudimoe. 10. The computation of tariffs should be based on costs incurred in delivering the service. 11. The collection of waste services user fees and follow-up on defaulters should be enforced in all municipalities. Bad debts should be sold to debt collectors. References [1] Kadama, F.R.K., An Analysis of the Generation and Management of Domestic Waste in the North West province of South Africa. Unpublished PhD thesis, North West University, [2] South Africa The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act, No 108 of Pretoria: Government Printer. [Laws.] [3] Fourie, M. & Opperman, L., Municipal Finance and Accounting, Pretoria: Van Schaik. [4] South Africa National Environmental Management: Waste Act, No 59 of Pretoria: Government Printer. [Laws.] [5] South Africa Municipal Financial Management Act, No 56 of Pretoria: Government Printers. [Laws.] [6] South Africa Municipal Systems Act, No 32 of Pretoria: Government Printers. [Laws.] [7] Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Briefing note: 2009/01. The State of domestic waste management in South Africa. Pretoria: CSIR. [8] Leedy, P.D., & Ormrod, J.E., Practical Research. Planning and Design, Pearson: Boston, 2013.

12 1334 The Sustainable City IX, Vol. 2 [9] Statistics South Africa. Community Survey 2007 Super-cross Tables. Pretoria: Statistics South Africa [10] Kadama, F.R.K., Business process re-engineering: A solution for solid waste management in the North West province of South Africa. International Journal of Sustainable Development, 9(1), pp , 2014.