Every night Chel Rosenberg of Kya Sands, north of Joburg, has to suck lozenges to wet her throat to prevent her coughing, while her two sickly children sleep with nebulisers to help them breathe better.
During the day, Rosenberg keeps her windows closed to prevent hazardous smoke from a decommissioned landfill − which has attracted illegal dumping near her home − from coming in.
Rosenberg is one of about 150,000 residents in the Randburg suburbs of Northriding, Cosmo City, Fourways, Dainfern and Olivedale who have for years been subjected to the toxic fumes of burning plastic, chemical waste, e-waste and heavy metals coming from three areas of the landfill in Kya Sands that have been turned into illegal dumping sites.
The burning has reduced the air quality by 35%, and a study done by the University of Pretoria at the residents’ request in August found concerning levels of benzene — a known cancer-causing chemical — in the air.
The landfill was decommissioned by Piktup in 2010, but thugs have taken it over to make money by charging waste management companies who want to get rid of their waste there. The gang allegedly charges between R200 and R400 per load.
Residents who live as far as 10km from the site have had to deal with its toxic fumes that affect their health.
Rosenberg, 38, has three children, and two of them were born into this nightmare.
“My six-year-old’s lung did not fully develop while I was pregnant,” she said. “She now struggles with lung issues and breathing issues. The 10-month-old has chest issues because of the smoke.
“The smoke comes right through the door, like it’s inside the house after you’ve locked up. To get through the night, we nebulise; we have a big machine and a portable one. I use lozenges to try to wet my throat, because the cough gets so bad you almost want to vomit.”
Rosenberg says she used to be healthy, with only mild asthma, but now she relies on medication daily, and her family’s medical bills are piling up.
“I am exhausted because I do not sleep properly. You wake up tired. You visit the doctor more often, and that’s money we don’t have. I had to pay R1,000 for medication. With three kids, that’s money I could have spent elsewhere.”
I am exhausted because I do not sleep properly. You wake up tired. You visit the doctor more often, and that’s money we don’t have.
— Chel Rosenberg
She now avoids leaving the house entirely. “I literally only go outside if I have to hang washing,” she said.
Another resident told Sowetan that one of her employees, who has lived in Kya Sands for a decade, had developed stage 4 lung cancer.
“She is on oxygen 24/7 and in and out of hospital. Doctors confirmed the origin of her lung cancer is the environment in our area. She has never smoked.”
A 68-year-old resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said the poison in the air has taken over her life.
“I never open my windows. The smoke is in the air. My eyes burn, I cough a lot, and I get headaches. I never, ever did before. I now use an asthma pump, antihistamines, nose spray, and eye drops. Medical aid doesn’t cover all of it; it’s out of my pocket.”
She has been contributing monthly to the Kya Sands Fund, which the affected community uses to find solutions, including launching civil cases against the city to compel it to test the air quality and to prevent the burning of waste.
Last year the residents took the matter to court, and the city was ordered to conduct comprehensive air-quality testing by April 2025. The city missed the deadline, repeatedly citing budget constraints.
Last week, Nthatisi Modingoane, a spokesperson for the city, said t had begun testing, but the results were not ready.
“The city is rehabilitating and clearing the illegal dumping at the closed Kya Sands landfill,” he said. “As part of the project, Kya Sands landfill will be opened for the disposal of construction and demolition waste. We are hoping that will provide infrastructure for such waste.
“The city is also in the process of identifying the other landowners for partnership in the quest for a sustainable solution. Law enforcement through JMPD and private security will be deployed to the area to deal with perpetrators,” Modingoane said.
The city and its partners announced recently that R150m has been set aside to restore environmental integrity, improve air quality and safeguard public health. Some of the interventions include clearing and recycling illegally dumped waste, developing and implementing a rehabilitation plan and installing security measures such as fencing, lighting and a guardhouse at the sites.
Community activist Keith Elliot from the Kya Sands Air Quality Group said the burning and illegal dumping is an organised crime that occurs daily.
“Between five and 10 sites operate at any one time, at least eight or 10 rugby fields in size and four stories high. They set fire to the waste every night.”
He said residents tried to stop the burning themselves until guns were pointed at them.
“A community member was dragged to the ground at gunpoint. They said: ‘Don’t come here again; we know where you live,’” Elliot said.
He said even when authorities are alerted at the moment of dumping, they never arrive.
Elliot warned that burning the waste is only part of the crisis, as the contaminated landfill also poses a threat to groundwater.
Sowetan
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