August 27, 2009

Until recently, Katlehong, a township southeast of Johannesburg, was no different. Garbage littered the dusty streets and illegal dumping was rife. Angered by poor service delivery, residents turned violent, further hampering waste collection efforts.

That was until Tedcor, a private waste management company, won a contract from the Ekurhuleni municipality in 2006. After negotiations with community leaders and councillors, Tedcor has managed to build a profitable business.

A year later, the streets are visibly cleaner, and a new park has been set up for children to play in.

"Most attempts to establish waste management systems in townships have failed because contractors didn't involve the community," says Tedcor executive Clarence Hamman. "We train jobless residents in the management of waste and assist them to become entrepreneurs."

Tedcor established the first community-based refuse removal system in KwaNdebele in 1991. It now sub contracts to more than 63 owner-drivers, each employing 12-16 people who collect waste from over 400 000 homes in some of SA's biggest townships and informal settlements, including Vosloosrus, Thokoza, Katlehong, Khayelitsha and municipalities in North West. "Municipalities are only too keen to subcontract collection in difficult areas," says Hamman.

Apart from assisting the entrepreneurs with the financing of the trucks (which cost about R650 000), Tedcor also provides training courses in business skills.

But waste collection in townships requires a unique approach. "One of the challenges was convincing residents to keep rubbish in their backyards and to trust that it would be collected regularly."

The company fits each truck with a public address system, which the drivers use to educate residents. Tedcor also employs staff to sweep the streets and remove illegal dumps. "This enables us to boost employment and keep down costs by limiting the use of expensive technology," says Hamman.

Photo: Clarence Hamman - Peaceful and neat