Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

Only 6% of landfill sites in the Free State meet standards, AfriForum audit shows

Only 6% of the landfill sites and transfer stations that AfriForum assessed in the Free State this year as part of its landfill audit, meet the minimum requirements for responsible waste management. In fact, these sites managed an average compliance score of barely 19%. Beyond this generally poor performance, AfriForum’s audit reveals that only two sites in the province achieved a compliance score of 50%.

The only site in the Free State that met the audit requirements this year is the Bethlehem landfill site, located within the Dihlabeng Local Municipality. This site has shown exceptional improvement over the past five years; from a compliance score of just 18% in 2022, it has managed to reach a score of 88% this year.

According to Jaco Grobbelaar, AfriForum’s Regional Head for the Central Region this improvement demonstrates that a turnaround in landfill compliance is indeed achievable.

“This year, as in previous years, the Free State has performed poorly, recording the lowest average compliance score, second only to the Northern Cape. Decisive action is now essential in this province to halt and reverse the impact of poor landfill management. Effective waste management is non-negotiable and has far-reaching consequences for both people and the environment. There is no longer time for excuses, the poor performance of Free State municipalities in this audit clearly indicates that a disaster is looming,” emphasises Grobbelaar.

This year, AfriForum audited 132 landfill sites and transfer stations across all nine provinces; however, only 30 sites (or 23% of the total) met at least 80% of the audit requirements. This indicates that, on average, approximately eight out of every ten sites nationwide exhibit serious shortcomings in infrastructure, operational management or compliance with basic requirements. Landfill sites in the Western Cape and Gauteng performed the best this year, with the Western Cape achieving an average compliance score of 66%, while Gauteng recorded 64%.

A total of 12 landfill sites in the Free State failed to reach even an average compliance score of 20% this year. These sites are (the compliance score is indicated in brackets):

Bloemfontein South Landfill Site, Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (18)
Bultfontein Landfill Site, Tswelopele Local Municipality (18)
Kroonstad Landfill Site, Moqhaka Local Municipality (18)
Parys Landfill Site, Ngwathe Local Municipality (10)
Sasolburg Landfill Site, Metsimaholo Local Municipality (10)
Frankfort Landfill Site, Mafube Local Municipality (6)
Viljoenskroon Landfill Site, Moqhaka Local Municipality (6)
Bothaville Landfill Site, Nala Local Municipality (4)
Winburg Landfill Site, Masilonyana Local Municipality (2)
Zastron Landfill Site, Mohokare Local Municipality (2)
Deneysville Landfill Site, Metsimaholo Local Municipality (0)
Heilbron Landfill Site, Ngwathe Local Municipality (0)

Furthermore, the compliance scores for nine of these 12 sites have deteriorated since 2025. The Winburg and Zastron sites were not audited last year, while the compliance score for the Kroonstad site remained unchanged.

Earlier this month, AfriForum submitted its report to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) in Pretoria. In the meantime, the civil rights organisation will continue to monitor municipal landfill sites annually and engage with authorities, industry stakeholders, and communities regarding practical solutions for the country’s waste management challenges. The organisation also encourages communities to become actively involved in responsible waste management, recycling and local initiatives aimed at reducing the volume of waste sent to landfill sites.

Vullisterreinverslag 2026_ENG_FINAAL Download