Four villages in the Kgatleng District have united to petition the Office of the President for Pilane Landfill to be closed for health reasons and relocated to a different site or they will seek redress from the courts
SESUPO RANTSIMAKO
The people of Rasesa, Bokaa, Morwa and Pilane in the Kgatleng District have petitioned the Office of the President (OP) to see that Pilane Landfill is closed and relocated to a different site because it is a health hazard.
The combined villagers have threatened legal action if their demands are not met.
In the petition, which has been copied to the Kgatleng District Council (KDC), the villagers say their repeated calls for the landfill to be closed and relocated have been ignored since 2021.
Constitutional rights
Asserting their constitutional right to a healthy living environment, they wrote: “Despite promises to address the hazardous conditions affecting our communities, the problem continues to persist.
“The continued disregard of our health and well-being is a violation of our constitutional rights, the Environmental Act, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”
The petitioners express serious concern about persistent smoke and toxic gases emitted by the landfill, posing a detrimental health hazard, especially to infants and the old and infirm.
“We are witnessing long-term respiratory issues that could have been avoided with responsible waste management,” they state in their petition.
“Our demand is non-negotiable”
“We understand that the current government is still working to resolve pre-existing issues inherited upon taking office. However, this landfill situation is not new and should be treated as a top priority.”
The petition concludes with a strong warning that the villagers will take legal action to protect their health and environment if the government fails to act.
“Our demand is non-negotiable – the landfill must be shut down and relocated to a site that complies with environmental laws,” they wrote. “If our demands are not met, we will be left with no option but to seek redress in the courts of law.”