---
title: "What a load of rubbish — Gqeberha waste transfer stations buckle under neglect"
description: "Broken-down trucks, locked gates and overflowing skips have left Gqeberha’s Walmer and Strandfontein waste stations struggling, raising concerns about pests, pollution and municipal accountability."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "TIPPING POINT"
author: "Kyran Blaauw"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/kyran-blaauw/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-10-01-what-a-load-of-rubbish-gqeberha-waste-transfer-stations-buckle-under-neglect/"
published: "2026-10-01T22:32:45"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 1332
---

# What a load of rubbish — Gqeberha waste transfer stations buckle under neglect

> Broken-down trucks, locked gates and overflowing skips have left Gqeberha’s Walmer and Strandfontein waste stations struggling, raising concerns about pests, pollution and municipal accountability.

By Kyran Blaauw · Published 2 October 2026, 00:32 SAST

## Key points
- Gqeberha’s Walmer and Strandfontein waste transfer stations are buckling under overflowing rubbish, repeated closures and truck breakdowns.
- Businesses fear foul odours, flies and rat infestations, while informal workers allegedly charge people to dump waste with little oversight.
- Councillors are demanding answers from the municipality and contractor over deteriorating fleets and possible failures to meet contractual obligations.
- Environmental experts warn poor waste management could worsen landfill fires, contaminate groundwater and threaten the sea — exposing a crisis far beyond two sites.

## Content

“This \[is\] the worst it’s ever been,” said a business owner whose premises neighbour the Walmer waste transfer station in Gqeberha.

Over the past year, she said, conditions at the facility had deteriorated, with too few skips, broken-down trucks, and rubbish accumulating.

Her concerns were echoed at the Strandfontein waste transfer station in Summerstrand, where residents and businesses have also faced repeated disruptions to refuse disposal.

Daily Maverick previously reported that residents in [Gqeberha’s Northern Areas](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-06-21-as-the-waste-piles-up-in-gqeberha-residents-ask-where-are-the-trucks/) had called on the City to take action to improve refuse removal.

These waste transfer stations are temporary collection points, where refuse is deposited before being transported to the city’s landfill sites, such as Arlington. The sites rely on skips and trucks to remove the waste regularly and prevent it from accumulating.

![The state of the Walmer waste transfer facility on 28 August 2026. Various types of refuse can be seen dumped at the facility. (Photo: Supplied / Source)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/0of-mdh6TVKBNJRWSa4BcCZkSbk=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/Kyran-TipTroubles7_902969.jpg)

*The Walmer waste transfer facility on 28 August. (Photo: Supplied)*

Municipal spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said the problems at the facilities were caused by frequent truck breakdowns, inadequate security and poor access control.

A business owner near the Walmer facility said the problems started with the contractor not providing enough skips and trucks repeatedly breaking down. The situation had since deteriorated, with private individuals charging people to dump waste at the site.

“As long as you pay, you can offload anything you want, any amount you want, any amount of times you want,” she said, adding that none of these informal helpers is employed by the municipality through its [Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP)](http://www.epwp.gov.za/).

[Read more

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June 9, 2026 ![Image](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/authors/772666094465335757.jpg)](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2026-06-09-nelson-mandela-bay-a-rubbish-budget-for-one-of-the-dirtiest-cities-in-the-world/)

Nkosikhona Hute (27) said he spends time at the Walmer transfer facility looking for opportunities to earn a small income. Hute said people sometimes pay him between R5 and R20 to help offload their rubbish.

![Waste has piled up at waste transfer facilities in Nelson Mandela Bay, with residents and businesses near the sites raising concerns about the conditions. The municipality's waste management contractor has come under scrutiny over its handling of the facilities. (Photo: Supplied / Source)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/XtSK5gsrWURMv7GFRQQKKMXYwZs=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/Kyran-TipTroubles5_822379.jpg)

*Waste has piled up at waste transfer facilities in Nelson Mandela Bay. (Photo: Supplied / Source)*

Another source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said households were dumping domestic refuse at the site and businesses were using the facility to dispose of waste, including food waste.

“They come here, and it is restaurant waste,” he said. “I spent a fortune to put rat traps and stuff around my business ... because we can’t have rats \[in our business\].”

One source said: “Fifth Avenue transfer station is no longer functioning as a transfer station; it has effectively become a landfill.”

![Refuse has accumulated around the skips at the Walmer waste transfer facility. Residents dropping off waste say they are forced to find space wherever they can when the skips are full. (Photo: Supplied / Source)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/fJbVEDL5ilSfVKKvclUd6qdSvcU=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/Kyran-TipTroubles8_258621.jpg)

*Refuse has accumulated around the skips at the Walmer waste transfer facility. Residents dropping off waste say they are forced to find space wherever they can when the skips are full. (Photo: Supplied / Source)*

At the Walmer facility on Thursday morning, an EPWP worker said she was redirecting residents to the Summerstrand site. Lacking a gate or security guards, the unfenced facility was being managed by informal waste pickers who allowed people to dump refuse wherever they could find space.

Later that day, a front-end loader was brought in to push waste toward the back of the facility after refuse spilt through the entrance and onto the road, blocking vehicle access. A swarm of flies hovered over the site, which sources said frequently emits a foul stench.

![Waste has spilled out of the skips at the Walmer waste transfer facility in Gqeberha. On 1 October 2026, residents arriving to drop off refuse found the skips full, with a TLB brought in to clear waste dumped on the ground. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/YGUlMRG3EBCl3IRPWBAVJKG6nIk=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/Kyran-TipTroubles1_138956.jpg)

*A front-end loader clears waste dumped on the ground at the Walmer waste transfer facility on 1 October. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)*

### Sites repeatedly closed

When Daily Maverick visited the Strandfontein waste transfer facility this week, several bakkies were lined up outside, waiting to offload their rubbish. However, they were unable to do so because the contractor was not on site.

This reporter was told that the contractor often arrives late, or fails to arrive at all, because of problems with their fleet. Inside the facility, refuse appeared to have been left for several days without being transported to the city’s major landfill sites.

Ward 2 councillor Sean Tappan said the problems at the city’s waste drop-off sites were no longer isolated incidents. He said he had raised concerns with the supervisor responsible for the sites after repeatedly being informed that facilities had to close because there were no spare skips.

He called on the municipality to investigate the contractor and hold it accountable for failing to meet its contractual duties.

“Surely, if you’re having a contract of this nature, part of the obligation is to ensure that your fleet is maintained and serviceable to the municipality and public.”

![Businesses operating next to the Walmer waste transfer facility in Gqeberha have complained of a foul odour and thick smoke, raising concerns about potential health risks. While the facility is generally intended for garden waste, businesses say other household refuse is also being dumped there. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/Aqep4ZypKaQGUFHPwSv9nshUOLc=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/Kyran-TipTroubles2_616553.jpg)

*Businesses operating next to the Walmer waste transfer facility have complained of a foul odour and thick smoke, raising concerns about potential health risks. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)*

Ward 3 councillor David Hayseldene said the Walmer facility was in “[an absolutely horrendous state](https://www.facebook.com/Ward3NMB/posts/safety-alertthe-5th-avenuewalmer-refuse-tip-is-in-an-absolutely-horrendous-state/1394691182776224/)” and the municipality needed to take action to restore it.

### Municipality acknowledges problems

Soyaya said the municipality regularly engages with facility operators, adding that constant truck breakdowns and the frequent need to empty skips were among the key challenges raised.

Security was another concern, with inadequate access control contributing to vandalism.

“Service providers have been engaged on these challenges and have committed to cooperate and work with the municipality to improve conditions and subsequently service delivery at the affected drop-off sites,” said Soyaya.

[Read more

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September 27, 2026 ![Image](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/authors/772666094465335757.jpg)](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2026-09-27-clean-streets-need-not-be-a-privilege-for-only-the-wealthy/)

The municipality said it conducted continuous supervision and monitoring of the facilities and provided daily services to the drop-off sites.

It had also requested additional funding to upgrade the facilities, provide proper security and formally register the sites to ensure compliance with applicable norms and standards governing the temporary storage of waste.

![Refuse continues to pile up at the Strandfontein waste transfer facility in Gqeberha. The municipality's contractor has been unable to transfer the waste to the Arlington landfill, with the municipality saying the contractor's trucks are out of service. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/95g-xZN2GYhyeYdjeytZrACCVYc=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/Kyran-TipTroubles4_510618.jpg)

*Refuse continues to pile up at the Strandfontein waste transfer facility in Gqeberha. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)*

However, the municipality said the timeframe for these improvements would depend on whether the additional budget was approved and disbursed.

Regarding contractor arrangements, the municipality said specific agreements and their terms are managed by its supply chain management contracts department. It added that a new three-year contract has been awarded, though the final appointment of service providers remains subject to the completion of standard supply chain management processes.

![The gates to the Strandfontein waste transfer facility in Gqeberha remained closed on 1 October 2026, with no contractor staff visible on site. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/Pw_Xjd6R6QKhoF7_QxIH7_Pmugo=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/Kyran-TipTroubles6_756771.jpg)

*The gates to the Strandfontein waste transfer facility in Gqeberha remained closed on 1 October, with no contractor staff visible on site. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)*

### Waste crisis extends beyond transfer stations

Dr Gary Koekemoer, chairperson of the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa’s Eastern Cape branch, said the city’s transfer stations were a critical part of its waste-management system, particularly because its two operating landfill sites – [Koedoeskloof and Arlington](https://www.facebook.com/NMBayM/posts/residents-of-nelson-mandela-bay-are-reminded-that-building-rubble-the-size-of-a-/1059245286233662/) – were nearing capacity.

Residents needed accessible transfer stations where waste could be dropped off before being taken to a landfill, said Koekemoer. But he questioned how the facilities were being managed, saying there was too little separation of recyclable and hazardous waste.

“We need to extend the range. We need to pre-sort, and then we need to secure those places, because they are a critical function in terms of managing our waste,” he said.

Koekemoer raised concerns over equity in municipal service delivery, pointing out that while suburbs like Walmer and Summerstrand had transfer stations, nearby township communities were left with fewer waste disposal options.

![People wait to drop off refuse at the Strandfontein waste transfer facility in Summerstrand, Gqeberha, on 1 October 2026. Some residents said they had been directed to the facility after the Walmer site reached capacity. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/lFsIuvmoXzlodhE2vSXz_IlpswU=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/Kyran-TipTroubles3_934937.jpg)

*People wait to drop off refuse at the Strandfontein waste transfer facility in Summerstrand, Gqeberha, on 1 October. Some residents said they had been directed to the facility after the Walmer site reached capacity. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)*

He also flagged major environmental risks at the Arlington landfill, including its location on a dune, potential groundwater contamination, and frequent fires. Smoke from these blazes poses a severe public health risk to surrounding residents, he warned.

He noted that the city was missing critical opportunities to recover value from waste, such as converting biomass into energy, while unmanaged refuse threatened broader ecological harm.

“You have all the plastics there, you have all the metals. So some of the metals and all of that soaks into your aquifer and, in terms of stormwater, then runs off into the sea,” he said.

“The long-term impact is that it’s destroying your natural heritage because it’s not managed properly.” **DM**