Illegal dumping sites across Johannesburg are increasingly being controlled by organised criminal groups that have transformed waste disposal into a lucrative underground business, according to community activists monitoring environmental crime in the city.
What began as unauthorised dumping operations has reportedly evolved into a sophisticated network involving waste collection fees, recycling activities, land development schemes and even the sale of illegal electricity connections.
The warning comes from Keith Elliott, a Johannesburg resident and volunteer director of the Kya Sands Burning Wasteland Community Forum NPC, who says criminal syndicates are exploiting weaknesses in waste management and law enforcement systems.
Speaking to Radio 702, Elliott described an expanding criminal ecosystem that profits from almost every stage of the waste cycle.
According to him, businesses and individuals are paying operators to dispose of waste illegally as pressure increases on Johannesburg’s limited landfill capacity. Once waste arrives at these sites, recyclable materials and other valuable items are extracted and sold for additional profit.
Illegal dumping evolves into broader criminal activity
Elliott claims the operations in Kya Sands have moved far beyond waste disposal.
One illegal landfill site is allegedly being used to fill and level a floodplain near the Kya Sands Spruit. By creating new usable land, operators are reportedly generating space that can later be sold for informal housing development.
The activity has raised concerns among environmental advocates who warn that altering floodplains can increase flooding risks and damage surrounding ecosystems.
Community members have also received reports that some of the same groups are involved in providing illegal electricity connections to nearby settlements.
If confirmed, such activities would suggest the emergence of highly organised criminal enterprises operating across multiple sectors rather than isolated environmental offences.
The Kya Sands landfill itself was officially decommissioned in 2010 and was expected to undergo rehabilitation. However, Elliott says illegal operators gradually reoccupied the area and resumed dumping activities within a few years.
Toxic smoke and environmental damage spread across the city
Environmental experts have long warned about the dangers associated with uncontrolled dumping sites.
Unlike regulated landfills, illegal dumping areas typically lack protective liners designed to prevent toxic substances from seeping into groundwater and nearby rivers. The absence of these safeguards increases the risk of long-term environmental contamination.
Residents are particularly concerned about the widespread practice of burning waste to create space for additional loads.
According to Elliott, plastics and mixed waste materials often smoulder rather than burn completely, producing highly toxic smoke that can affect nearby communities.
He says similar sites are no longer limited to Kya Sands and are appearing throughout Johannesburg.
Reports of illegal dumping hubs have emerged near major roads, industrial zones and even areas close to strategic infrastructure. Some residents have identified activity near Main Road, Witkoppen Road and areas surrounding Eskom’s headquarters in Sunninghill.
Frustrated by what they perceive as inadequate enforcement, community groups have begun funding their own security measures.
Elliott said residents established checkpoints and deployed mobile security patrols, reducing waste-burning incidents by as much as 80% to 90% in targeted areas.
More recently, the community contracted a private security company at a monthly cost of approximately R85,000 to provide 24-hour support.
Activists argue that if relatively modest community-funded interventions can achieve significant results, municipal authorities should be able to implement larger-scale enforcement measures across the city.
As Johannesburg continues to battle environmental degradation, growing populations and infrastructure pressures, residents warn that organised waste crime could become one of the city’s most overlooked challenges.
Source: Radio 702 Interview / Kya Sands Burning Wasteland Community Forum NPC