Black-empowered resources group Exxaro officially handed over the Ga-Nala landfill site to the Emalahleni local municipality and Ga-Nala communities earlier this week.
The transfer of the landfill site near the Thubelihle township, in Mpumalanga, took place after three years.
Established in 1990 and permitted in 1995, the landfill site caters for the general domestic waste of Ga-Nala, State-owned Eskom and surrounding mining houses.
However, owing to an initial lack of resources that caused the landfill to be noncompliant with environmental legislation, Exxaro’s Matla coal mine stepped in and contributed R2.4-million towards site upgrades.
Managed by Exxaro, external specialist service providers were appointed, and the project was completed in February 2018.
As part of the upgrades, a 140 m access road, sliding gate and access control office were built. A weighbridge was also installed to weigh all material to be offloaded at the site, as per the landfill site operating permit.
Additionally, Exxaro provisioned the water system and installed a septic tank, donated by Sasco, and set up operating hardware and training by Gijima.
Moreover, Matla Coal is considering the donation of an additional R500 000 to the municipality in the form of drilling monitoring boreholes and the installation of high-mast lighting.
The monitoring boreholes will help to assess the pollution plume that may develop underneath the landfill site, as well as the potential impact on groundwater and downstream water users, while the lighting will ensure safety on site and added visibility for security to effectively respond to criminal activity after hours.
“We . . . remain hopeful that the municipality and broader community will not only put the landfill to good use, but also take care of it,” Matla Coal’s business unit manager Stephen Badenhorst said.
This project forms part of Exxaro’s overarching commitment to better the lives of those in the communities in which it operates.