Industry body supports the arrest of individuals for waste tender fraud

The Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA) supports the recent arrest of nine individuals, including two eThekwini municipal officials, for their involvement in waste tender fraud totalling R 208 million.1 The IWMSA has also recently reported four municipalities to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) for mismanaging landfills. The IWMSA takes a strong stance towards ethical governance and will therefore always report any illegal activity pertaining to waste management.

“In South Africa the mismanagement of tax payers’ money on waste services is clearly visible in our country. In the past 20 years the IWMSA has seen a drastic decline in municipal memberships which may be one of the reasons for the decline in proper management of municipal waste,” says Leon Grobbelaar, president of the IWMSA.

“The IWMSA can assist municipalities in verifying reputable waste contractors and if municipalities insist that all tenderers belong to the IWMSA we can ensure that the tenderers operate in line with the Code of Ethics. The IWMSA’s Code of Ethics states that all members should abide by the Constitution, including section 24, which is protecting everyone’s environmental right. The recent reported activity is in breach of the Constitution and Section 24.

The numerous waste experts that form part of the IWMSA’s membership can guide municipalities and evaluate if rates tendered are in line with national standards,” says Grobbelaar.

The IWMSA is a non-profit voluntary industry body that promotes environmentally responsible waste management. The IWMSA is not the governing body of the waste management industry, by law the DEA governs the industry. Durban Solid Waste (DSW) alleged to be on the receiving end of the fraudulent waste tender is a patron member of the IWMSA. The IWMSA’s Constitution dictates that the IWMSA will not suspend any individual, organisation, or patron member unless there are grounds on which it is found that the said member has harmed the environment in which it operates maliciously. “Member transgressions are dealt with on a case by case basis and take into consideration the merits of the specific transgression, and we will continue to monitor the findings of the Commercial Crimes Court on this matter,” says Grobbelaar.

“The IWMSA supports industry and the authorities in ensuring that fraud and corruption are eliminated from the waste management industry in Southern Africa. We invite all concerned residents to report suspected irregularities and illegal activities to the IWMSA,” concludes Grobbelaar.

For more information about the IWMSA or if you have any landfill specific questions, visit www.iwmsa.co.za. You can also follow IWMSA on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/iwmsa) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/IWMSA).