Evaluating the role of informal waste sector in municipal solid waste management in Vhembe District Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

To date, solid waste managers are still dwarfed by the growing challenge of delivering municipal solid waste management service to the public. This is because of the growing rate of waste generation resulting from urbanisation, rapid population growth and world economic development. Currently, the world generates over 3.6 million tons of waste daily and at this rate, within the next 3 years, it is expected to rise to a booming 6 million tons per day. Municipalities in South Africa still use landfilling as a disposal method for solid waste management, and significant consequences such as soil contamination and underground water contamination are inevitable, ultimately threatening human health. Unemployed, poor individuals and side-lined groups, who constitute the informal waste sector, play very critical role of roaming around cities, towns and disposal sites recovering valuable waste materials as a survival strategy. Although to the informal waste sector, valuable waste recovery is a means of living, that is, to earn money, they are critical role players in the world’s goal of moving towards a circular economy. While the municipality chooses to bury waste, this sector chooses to refer it back to the economy, which leads to zero waste in landfills and protects the health of the environment. This study was conducted using a mixed methods research design. The study was conducted in Vhembe District Municipality following a convenience sampling method. A sample consisting of 80 waste pickers, 4 waste managers and 10 buyback centre directors participated through closed-ended questionnaires, face-to-face interviews and online surveys. Data collected through questionnaires was analysed using SPSS version 25.0, and data collected through structured interviews was analysed following the eight data analysis steps proposed by Tesch. The results of this study indicate that the informal waste sector in Vhembe District is a black-dominated industry, with females being the most dominant and those involved having no formal education except for a few graduates who simply saw a business opportunity. Little recognition is given to the informal waste sector by authorities and policy makers. Society undermines and rejects this sector. Furthermore, they are exploited, abused and associated with waste by the public. This limits their activities, but they play a significant part in creating jobs, saving municipalities millions in collection and disposal costs and ensuring a healthy living by sustainably conserving the environment indirectly.

Kutafika sweswi, vafambisi va thyaka ro tiya va ha tsongahatiwa hi ntlhontlho lowu kulaka wa ku phakela vaaki vukorhokeri bya malawulelo ya thyaka ro tiya bya masipala. Leswi swi hikwalaho ka mpimo lowu kulaka wa ku endliwa ka thyaka leri tumbulukaka kusuka eka ku endliwa ka madoroba, ku kula ka rixaka ko hatlisa na nhluvukiso wa ikhonomi ya misava. Eka nkarhi wa sweswi, misava yi endla kutlula 3.6 wa timiliyoni ta tithani ta thyaka siku na siku naswona hi mpimo lowu, ku nga si hela malembe ma3 lama taka ti languteriwile ku tlakuka kufika eka 6 wa timiliyoni ta tithani hi siku leti andzaka. Timasipala ta le Afrika-Dzonga ta ha tirhisa ku cukumetela etaleni tanihi endlelo ro cukumeta ra malawulelo ya thyaka ro tiya, naswona switandzhaku swo tivikana swo tanihi nthyakiso wa misava na nthyakiso wa mati ya le hansi ka misava a swi siveleki, ekuheteleleni swi xungeta rihanyo ra vanhu na swona. Vanhu lava nga swela, lava nga tirhiki na mitlawa leyi tsan'wiweke, leyi yi vumbaka sekitara ya thyaka ya nkamafundza, va tlanga xiave xa nkoka swonghasi xa ku rhendzeleka na madorobakulu, madoroba na tindhawu to cukumetela eka tona va ri karhi va hlawulela timatheriyali ta thyaka ta nkoka tanihi qhinga ro tihanyisa. Hambileswi eka sekitara ya thyaka ya nkamafundza, ku hlawuleriwa ka thyaka ra nkoka swi nga ndlela yo tihanyisa, hileswaku, ku nghenisa mali, i vatlangaxiave va nkoka swonghasi eka xikongomelokulu xa misava xa ku cincela eka ikhonomi yo rhendzeleka. Tanihiloko masipala wu hlawula ku yimbela thyaka, sekitara leyi yi hlawula ku ri kongomisa ri tlhelela eka ikhonomi, leswi swi vangaka nkathyaka emataleni ya naswona swi sirhelela rihanyo ra mbangu. Ndzavisiso lowu wu endliwile hi ku tirhisa dizayini ya ndzavisiso ya maendlelo lama pfanganisiweke. Ndzavisiso lowu wu endliwile eka Masipala wa Xifundzatsongo xa Vembe ku ri karhi ku landzeleriwa endlelo ra sampulu yo ya hi maolovelo. Sampulu leyi yi vumbiwaka hi 80 wa varhwalathyaka, 4 wa vafambisi va thyaka na 10 ra valawuri va tisenthara to xava hi vuntshwa yi teke xiave hi ku tirhisa swivutiso swa ndzavisiso leswi nga na makumu yo pfuleka, tiinthavhiyu to va mi langutanile na mivalango ya le ka inthanete. Switiviwa leswi hlengeletiweke hi ku tirhisa swivutiso swa ndzavisiso swi xopaxopiwile hi ku tirhisa SPSS ya vhexini ya 25.0, naswona switiviwa leswi hlengeletiweke hi ku tirhisa tiinthavhiyu leti nga na xivumbeko swi xopaxopiwile ku ri karhi ku landzeleriwa nhungu wa magoza ya nxopaxopo wa switiviwa lama ringanyetiweke hi Tesch. Mivuyelo ya ndzavisiso lowu yi komba leswaku sekitara ya thyaka ya nkamafundza eka Xifundzatsongo xa Vembe i indasitiri leyi taleriweke hi vantima, ku ri na vaxisati lava nga vona va nga tala kutlula hinkwavo na lavaya va khumbekaka eka ku pfumala dyondzo ya mafundza ku ri karhi ku nga katsiwi mathwasana ya tidigiri mangarimangani lama ya nga lo vona xivandlanene xa bindzu. Valawuri na vaendlatipholisi va tekela enhlokweni switsongo sekitara leya thyaka ya nkamafundza. Vaakandhawu va tekela ehansi na ku nyenyemuka sekitara leyi. Ku ya emahlweni, va tirhisiwa hi ndlela yo homboloka, va xanisiwa naswona va voniwa tanihi thyaka hi vaaki. Leswi swi tsongahata migingiriko ya vona, kambe va tlanga xiphemu xo tivikana eka ku tumbuluxa mitirho, va hlayisela timasipala timiliyoni eka tihakelo to rhwalela na to cukumeta na ku tiyisisa leswaku ku va na ku hanya loku nga na rihanyo hi ku hlayisa hi ndlela leyi yaka emahlweni mbangu hi ndlela leyi nga kongomiki.

U swika zwino, vhalanguli vha zwa u hwalela mashika vha kha ḓi vha vho hanganea zwi tshi ḓa kha u ḓisa tshumelo ya masipala ya u langa u hwalelwa ha mashika tshitshavhani. Izwi zwi khou itiswa nga tshikalo tsha nyaluwo ine ya khou ḓiswa nga u bvelela ha ḓorobo, u anda ha vhathu na nyaluwo ya ikonomi ya ḽifhasi. Zwa zwino ḽifhasi ḽi khou bveledza miḽiyoni dza 3.6 wa dzithoni dza mashika ḓuvha ḽinwe na ḽinwe, hafhu kha heyi nyaluwo, zwi anganyelwa uri kha minwaha miraru i ḓaho, i ḓo vha i tshi khou hovhelela henefha ka miḽiyoni dza 6 wa dzithoni dza malaṱwa nga ḓuvha. Mimasipala ya Afrika Tshipembe i kha ḓi shumisa u tou thupha mashika fethu hugede sa yone nḓila ya u langula mashika. Masiandaitwa a izwi ndzi u tshikafhadziwa ha mavu na maḓi a re fhasi mavuni, zwine zwa shushedza mutakalo wa vhathu. Vhathu vha sa shumi, vhashai na zwigwada zwa vhathu zwi sa dzhielwi nṱha, vha mona-mona na fhethu hu laṱwaho mashika mahayani na dziḓoroboni vha tshi ṱoḓa zwithu zwine vha nga zwi dobela vha ya u zwi rengisa sa nḓila ya u ditshidza. Naho kha ndangulo ya u laṱwa mashika na u a hwalelwa hao iyini ndowetshumo i sa divhei sa ya tshiofisi, ndi zwa ndeme sa nḓila ya u ḓitshidza kha vhathu vhane vha ḓidzhenisa kha iyo nḓowetshumo. Zwi dovha hafhu zwa tamba tshipiḓa tsha ndeme kha u bveledza ikonomi ya shango. Naho masipala u tshi nanga u tou fukedza mashika, hetshi tshigwada tshi a a fukula tsha a humisela kha ikonomi, zwine zwa dovha zwa thusa kha u ita uri shango ḽi si ḓale mashika, zwa dovha hafhu zwa vha zwavhuḓi kha mutakalo wa mupo na wa vhathu. Tsedzuluso iyi yo itiwa hu tshi khou shumiswa maitele o vanganaho a u ita thodisiso. Thodisisio yo itwa kha masipala wa Vhembe ho nanguludzwa vhane vha ḓo dzhenelela kha ṱhoḓisiso nga u vha vha vha tshi khou wanala. Ho topoliwa vhashumi vha fumalo (80) vhane vha shuma u hwalela mashika, vhalanguli vhana (4) na dzidayirekhta dza fumi (10) dza fhethu hu no rengiselwa hone zwithu zwe zwa vha zwo latiwa, vhothe vho dzenelela u vhudziswa-vhudziswa mbudziso dzo valeaho, musi ho livhanwa zwifhaṱuwa na nga vhudavhidzani ha tshithekinolodzhi. Mawanwa hu tshi khou shumiswa khwesheneya o senguluswa hu tshi khou shumiswa phurogireme-thusedzi ya u sengulusa ya SPSS ya 25.0. Mwanwa a musi hu tshi khou shumiswa mbudziso dze dza vha dzo dzula dzo dzudzanywa o senguluswa hu tshi khou shumiswa maga a malo (8) a Tesch. Mvelele dza ṱhoḓisiso iyi dzi khou sumbedza uri u hwalela zwithu zwa kale zwo latwaho ndi bindu ḽa vhathu vharema, nahone vhunzhi havho ndzi vhafumakadzi, vhane a vha ngo funzea. Fhedzi hu dovha a ha wanala uri kha vhenevho, hu na vhaṱuku-ṱuku vhane vha vha na pfunzo dza nṱha, vhe vha wana u hwalela zwithu zwa kale zwo laṱwaho, hu tshikhala tsha vhubindudzi na nḓila ya u ḓisikela mishumo. Muvhuso a u dzhieli nṱha vhubindudzi hovhu ha u hwalela zwithu zwo laṱwaho na u rengiswa hazwo. A hu na mbekanya-maitele kha muvhuso zwi tshi ḓa kha uri nḓowetshumo ya u dobela zwithu zwo laṱwaho zwi tshi dovha zwa shumiswa i fanela u tshimbila hani. Tshitshavha na tshone tshi dzhiela fhasi na u nyefula uyu mushumo. Izwi zwi ita uri vhane vha shuma uyu mushumo vha si kone u shuma zwavhuḓi, naho vha tshi khou ḓisikela mishumo na u thusa masipala u vhulunga masheleni manzhi e a vha a tshi ḓo shumisiwa kha u kunakisa mupo nga u dobela mashika na u ita uri vhupo vhu vhe hu dzuleaho khathihi na u vhulungea.