A recent buyback boot camp in eThekwini Region in an attempt to strengthen the glass recycling value chain has made significant strides in empowering local waste pickers and promoting an inclusive recycling network. The boot camp initiative was championed and facilitated by The Glass Recycling Company (TGRC) in partnership with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), eThekwini Municipality, Greenway and Use It.
By supporting them with knowledge, tools, infrastructure, and direct opportunities, we are building a stronger, more inclusive recycling network that benefits not only the communities but also the entire country,” said Jhetam. The sessions combined presentations with open dialogue, giving participants access to information on TGRC’s support programmes, including waste picker service fees, training opportunities, personal protective equipment (PPE) provision, and transport subsidies, as well as funding insights from government partners. The company said the boot camp served as both a recognition of the integral role of the buyback centres and waste pickers and a practical intervention to support them with knowledge, resources, and tangible tools to improve their daily work. TGRC distributed 100 sets of PPE, including goggles, gloves, and masks, providing participants with the tools to perform their work more efficiently.
This initiative by the TGRC and DFFE in recycling and environmental conservation will be a great success. The boot camp’s training opportunities could go a long way in creating jobs and improving the Durban metro’s desirability. Recycling used glass for new products such as bottles, windows, and such products will uplift those individuals in need of self-employment. The grand scale on which the provisions of Waste picker service fees, personal protective equipment (PPE), subsidisation of transportation financial insights government departments on national level. This boot camp can serve as an entrepreneurial training ground to mould those who have limited prospects into being self-employed. Self-employment in glass work can create a new source of industry for eThekwini region. It commercialized the recycling of wasted glass in a positive manner. The boot camp is a skills training centre that can generate income for recipients of the training and their families as whole.
Meanwhile the Municipality has appealed R77. 9 million to upgrade the city’s sewer infrastructure.
The eThekwini Municipality needs R77.9 million to finish major sewer pipe rehab projects, and a dual sanitation master plan is being created to guide future infrastructure development. The municipality stated that the number of functional pump stations has increased to 226, with targeted repairs continuing to restore full operational capacity, and that collaborative efforts with Eskom and municipal electricity teams are under way to restore power at vandalised pump stations. Additionally, sewer fault response times have also improved, with 89% of blockages being attended to within 24 hours. During an Executive Committee (EXCO) meeting on Tuesday, the municipality announced that it has completed over a dozen major sewer pipe rehabilitation projects in areas such as Umlazi, Pinetown, Tongaat, and Cowies Hill Park. Despite this progress, funding is required to complete other ongoing repairs.
At the meeting, the eThekwini Water and Sanitation Directorate stated that they were restoring and improving sanitation infrastructure across the city, following extensive damage caused by recent floods and ongoing operational challenges.
It is good the municipality is taking into account the repairs and upgrades to Durban’s aging sewerage system. The city needs to constantly upgrade its drainage infrastructure to improve its sanitation. Vandalism of municipal infrastructure is a serious crime and one that should be punishable by serving time in prison. eThekwini region should step up security at the pump stations and crack down on organized crime of theft of electric cables and other utilities. It is good news that the vast number of blockages have been upended. Durban Metro needs to have a clean environment if it wants to be a centre of business, trade and tourism. No one will spend money on visiting a city that doesn’t take care of itself. However, the path as proposed by eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba will be long, dark and complex.
The ExCo will most likely ask its funding from the provincial and national governments. The municipality has a huge challenge ahead of it in conserving eThekwini’s civic and natural environment. So far, the municipality is reaping the success of its efforts leading to the potential of creating jobs.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
