Cowdray Park councillors have called for the relocation of the Richmond Landfill, commonly known as Ngozi Mine, due to the hazardous smoke from continuous fires at the site.
This concern was raised during a full council meeting held on Wednesday at the council chambers.
Ward 28 Councillor, Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu, expressed frustration over the ongoing fire and smoke at Ngozi Mine, describing it as a significant health risk for residents living nearby.
“The issue of Ngozi Mine is now a danger to the residents surrounding this area. For the past days, the fire and the smoke that was alight there, we are not seeing any action in addressing that challenge,” Ndlovu said.
Ndlovu criticised the city’s response in handling the matter.
“We are seeing statements from PR, some of them reckless, telling residents to close their windows. Is there anyone who can stay in their house with windows closed when this landfill site belongs to us, the city council?” Ndlovu questioned.
He further noted that councillors were informed in January that the landfill would be taken over by a private entity by June 2024 to manage the site.
However, no progress has been made, and residents of Cowdray Park and Richmond continue to suffer.
“Up to now, there is no action. The year is about to end, and nothing is being done. But residents are being smoked out every day. They don’t know what we are doing as a council,” Ndlovu said.
Ndlovu suggested that council officials responsible for managing Ngozi Mine should personally bear the penalties imposed by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) for failing to control the site.
“I suggest that next time the officials managing Ngozi Mine pay the penalties from their own pockets so that people do the job they are hired to do,” he added.
Ndlovu also called for an immediate allocation of resources to extinguish the fire at Ngozi Mine, “I am smelling smoke even now, yet we are paying people daily to manage that landfill,” he said and pointed out that the smoke has disrupted learning at nearby schools.
“Today, learning and teaching at schools were disrupted. Children writing exams were affected because of the smoke. Headmasters are calling, saying teachers with asthma and learners are collapsing.”
Ndlovu also proposed relocating Ngozi Mine away from residential areas.
Ward 6 Councillor, Nkosinathi Hove-Mpofu, echoed Ndlovu’s concerns, stating that the council had not done enough to address the smoke emissions.
“We have been talking about Ngozi Mine ever since we were elected as councillors. No action has been taken, and residents are still suffering. I support Councillor Ndlovu’s call to find an alternative landfill while we work on long-term solutions for Ngozi Mine,” Hove-Mpofu said.
He urged the council to implement immediate measures to protect vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, schoolchildren, and the wider community.
“If we wait for the committee to return with a report, the damage will still be there. They should urgently visit the site and find a solution,” Hove-Mpofu added.
Ward 26 Councillor, Mpumelelo Moyo, seconded the call to relocate Ngozi Mine or find an operator to turn the area into a recycling hub.
“This issue keeps coming up, and we can’t take it anymore,” Moyo said.
Meanwhile, Ward 9 Councillor, Donaldson Mabutho, suggested that the council should seek investors to extract the gas found at Ngozi Mine.
“The fires at Ngozi Mine may not be deliberate. We received a technical report stating that gasses exchanged at the site ignited flames. While I support relocating the landfill, we need to extract that gas, possibly methane, and turn it into an opportunity for the city,” Mabutho said.
He emphasised that the city should prioritize finding an investor to extract the gas and ensure that future landfill sites are located far from residential areas.
Ward 3 Councillor, Mxolisi Mahlangu, also supported the idea of seeking investors to tap into the gas at Ngozi Mine.
“It is heartbreaking to see potential revenue lost. We must find alternative solutions that benefit the city while protecting residents,” Mahlangu
In response, Committee Chairperson, Ward 17 Councillor Sikhululekile Moyo, said the committee is currently preparing tenders for waste-to-energy projects.
“It’s a process we are working on now,” she said.
