The Katima Mulilo Town Council has resolved to temporarily make use of the Bukalo dumpsite after the environment ministry shut down the local authority’s landfill last week. 

Urban and rural development minister Erastus Uutoni announced the new developments on Monday at Katima Mulilo. The town has been without a permanent dumpsite after the old landfill, which was located close to the University of Namibia campus and the Zambezi Vocational Training Centre was closed by the environment ministry in 2018. 

The town council has been operating the dumpsite illegally for the past three years, prompting the environmental commissioner’s office to close it down due to health hazard. The town will now make use of the Bukalo dumpsite, 40 kilometres east of Katima Mulilo, while discussions with the Mafwe Traditional Authority to secure a new dumpsite continue. 

In 2018, the town council temporarily relocated the dumpsite to an industrial area, about 300 metres behind the Katima Mulilo abattoir and Puma service station. Despite receiving a compliance order to close the dumpsite, the town council continued to use the dumpsite illegally. 

However, Uutoni announced a permanent solution will soon be found. “I was informed the issue of the dumpsite will be resolved soon, but in the meantime, they will be using the Bukalo dumpsite,” he said. Uutoni also stated that he would personally visit the Mafwe Traditional Authority, with the hope to speed up the discussions.