Author(s): Billy Sihle Mokoena, Jabulani Christopher Nyawo
According to Schedule 5b, of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996, waste management is an essential service to be provided by local government. Failure to deliver proper services could lead to an unhealthy and polluted environment. The municipal waste departments experience inadequate operational budgets, increases in operating costs, the rising cost of replacement capital expenses, and skyrocketing exposure to environmental liability. These challenges make privatization appear attractive. The privatization of solid waste collection has been used as an intervention for the challenges faced by local governments. This study examines the effects of privatizing solid waste collection in local government, focusing on the KwaDukuza municipality located in South Africa in KwaZulu-Natal province. This study employed a quantitative approach. The primary data was obtained from ward committee members and waste company employees through questionnaires. Primary data were collected from 80 participants 70 ward committee members and ten from waste collection company employees). Probability random sampling was used in this study. The results of the study indicated that households want waste collection services to be performed by the government. This may be attributed to the wards’ view that privatization of waste collection does not necessarily translate into improved efficiency, but neither do essential services become affordable. Furthermore, the results showed that inadequate road networks deprive fair waste collection in poor communities, and there are many free riders in the waste collection system. Although it was found that the collection of waste was sustainable, this study recommends that the municipalities that privatize waste collection services should act as the watchdog and protect the disadvantaged group from being exploited by private waste collectors.