Date: 5 June 2025
Venue: The Cradle of Humankind (Maropeng)
Time: 09h00-14h00
Theme: Gauteng Provincial Government and Private Sector Environmental Partnerships
MEC for Environment Ms Shyla Peters together with Gauteng Department of Environment, officially invited MetPac-SA to a roundtable discussion to present strategic partnership programmes aimed at improving the environmental sustainability of the City of Joburg.
The roundtable included various top executives from private sector and various government officials.
The programme director Mr Sechaba welcomed all guests and thanked all attendees for their attendance.
The main issues raised by the MEC were:
- Waste Disposal Management
- Waste Diversion from Landfills
- Opportunities in waste management for unemployed South African Youth
The MEC noted that for the city of Gauteng to become environmentally sustainable there must be active collaboration and active cooperation from all stakeholders namely private sector and public sector. She pleaded with the private sector to participate in environmental projects aimed at rehabilitating and cleaning the city of Joburg.
The MEC stated that South Africa must establish new innovative methods of disposing waste. She stressed that landfill sites are hugely incapacitated and extremely outdated. She mentioned that the government will not be issuing new licences for landfills, therefore implementation of new innovative methods for waste disposal have since become urgent. The city of Joburg faces massive problems. Waste is being dumped illegally on the roads and on abandoned infrastructure such as flats in the CBD. The MEC stated that the government will be waging a war on illegal dumping sites and illegal dumpers.
She further mentioned that the Government will be regulating laws to make separation at source formalised amongst households and business sectors across South Africa.
The MEC further stated that there are huge business opportunities for unemployed youth of South Africa in waste management. The MEC identified key environmental projects which have the potential to create significant jobs for the unemployed youth of South Africa.
Mr Blake Mosley-Lefatola Head of Gauteng Department of Environment spoke in detail about the potential areas for partnership. One of the key projects he identified was the implementation of separation at source across South Africa.
The suggested projects include:
- New waste disposal innovations
- Wetlands rehabilitation
- Planting of 1 million trees
- Nature Reserve maintenance
- Waste management
- Climate change businesses
The MEC stated that South Africa should not wait for international visitors to put its house in order. South Africa should be urgently implementing waste management solutions for its citizens.
