Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning

1. What steps is his Department currently taking to assist the Knysna Municipality in addressing the refuse collection backlog;

REPLY :   Chapter 7 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 states that the Objectives of Local government in terms of Section 152 (1) (b) is to ensure the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner, and in accordance with Section 152 (2), a municipality must strive, within its financial and administrative capacity, to achieve the objects set out in subsection (1). Waste collection is thus a municipal function.

The department has motivated for the municipal infrastructure grant (MIG) funding in October 2025 for one ten-ton payload refuse compactor, a Bobcat S510 wheeled steer loader, and a 18000-litre water tanker to improve the delivery of waste management services in the municipality. We are aware of the aged fleet and lack of preventative maintenance of their current collection vehicles, and hence the support for MIG funding for an additional refuse compactor truck. George Municipality also assisted Knysna Municipality by utilising 3 of their compactor collection vehicles to address the backlog.

2. whether his Department has conducted an assessment of the (a) scale and (b) causes of the backlog, including which areas in the municipality are most affected; if so, what are the relevant details;

REPLY:     The Department`s focus is on determining the compliance of the disposal and waste management facilities such as the Sedgefield Garden Waste and Builder’s Rubble Facility, the Old Place Waste Disposal Facility and the Knysna transfer station where audits have been conducted and information was supplied to the Department of Local Government during the section 154 process, as well as the Consolidated Executive Obligations’ Monitoring and Enforcement Framework and Action Plan (CEOMAF Plan). Matters of non-compliance have been handed over to the Environmental Law Enforcement for further interventions. The main causes for the breakdowns are lack of preventative maintenance, and not replacing fleet once it has been fully depreciated.

3. what is the estimated impact of this backlog on the local environment and commu-nities, particularly in relation to increased illegal dumping and the associated health risks;

REPLY:     The impact is very significant, as no waste collection will lead to serious health outbreaks, and lead to infestation of vectors of disease (eg flies, rats, etc). This Department has been in constant contact with the various Ratepayers Associations and complainants to follow up on progress and issues raised.

4. what support mechanisms or interventions (such as technical assistance, capacity building or financial support) are being implemented or considered by his Depart-ment to help the municipality restore consistent refuse collection services and prevent further environmental degradation?

REPLY:     The Department provides technical support on waste facility audits, review and motivate the procurement applications of specialised vehicles for waste management through the transversal (MIG) RT57-2002 tender, have conducted site inspections and advised the waste officials on best practices and how to address non-compliances and challenges, and conducts three Waste Management Officer Forums annually to highlight issues of concern, best practice and sharing of information.