Media Release: Mayors and Municipal Managers Visit Regional Waste Management Facility Site

20 November 2024

Earlier today, 20 November, Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Executive Mayor Andrew Stroebel led a delegation of Mayors and Municipal Managers from local municipalities on an oversight visit to the Regional Waste Management Facility (RWMF), located next to PetroSA in Mossel Bay.

“During my previous District Coordinating Forum I promised to arrange a site visit for Mayors and Municipal Managers to witness to progress of this collective mega-project,” said Mayor Stroebel.

During the visit, GRDM Waste Manager Johan Gie explained the minimum requirements for initiating waste disposal operations at the facility. These requirements include the completion of Cell 1A, the access road, weighbridge, leachate and contaminated water dams, drainage pipes, guardhouse, weighbridge buildings, and permanent fencing.

Gie previously at the DCF detailed some of the challenges faced with completing the project according to its planned schedule. The main issue has been been rain and wind damage, which caused delays in preparing the surface of Cell 1A. Cell 1A is part of the critical path of the project and needs to be completed for municipalities to start disposing waste. “In some cases, work had to be restarted multiple times due to the extent of the damage,” said Gie.

On a positive note, PetroSA has agreed to a month-to-month extension for the disposal of waste at its site adjacent to the RWMF, provided it complies with the prescribed licence conditions. GRDM will also be responsible for operating the temporary site, while also supplying the required cover material.

Overall the stakeholders were impressed with the progress made to date.

In his closing remarks, Mayor Stroebel said: “I want to thank GRDM Community Services Head of Department, Nthabeleng Raisa-Mlandu, the Mayoral Committee Chairperson for Community Services Jobieth Hoogbaard, Johan Gie – our Waste Management Manager and other personnel for their collective efforts to getting this project to where it is today”.

The works are still ongoing at the RWMF.

ENDS