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.

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 vesheni 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