Illegal Dumping in Johannesburg Taken Over by ‘Mafia-Style’ Syndicates
- Illegal dumping sites in Johannesburg are reportedly being controlled by organised criminal syndicates that charge people to dispose of waste illegally
- Community activist Keith Elliott says the groups also profit from recycling materials and expanding into other illegal activities like electricity connections
- Residents claim the problem is spreading across the city, while community-led security efforts have helped reduce dumping and burning in some areas
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JOHANNESBURG - Illegal dumping sites across Johannesburg are increasingly being controlled by organised criminal groups, according to community activists who say the operations now resemble “mafia-style” enterprises.
BusinessTech reported that Keith Elliott, a Johannesburg resident and volunteer director of the Kya Sands Burning Wasteland Community Forum NPC, says these groups are not only dumping waste illegally but are also making large profits from it.
Syndicates charging people to dispose waste
Speaking in an interview with 702 Drive, Elliott said the syndicates charge individuals and businesses to dispose of waste at illegal sites, taking advantage of the city’s limited landfill capacity.
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“The modus operandi is simply taking money from people wishing to dump waste,” he said.
Once the waste is dumped, the groups reportedly sort through it to extract recyclable materials and anything else that can be resold, turning the sites into profit-making hubs.
In Kya Sands, the situation has worsened. Elliott said a newly created illegal landfill is now being used to level a floodplain next to the Kya Sands Spruit, allegedly to create space for informal housing plots.
“They’re actually levelling the floodplain… to sell more plots for shacks,” he said.
He also claimed the operations have expanded beyond waste, with reports of illegal electricity connections being sold in the area.
See post from BusinessTech here:
Residents stand up and take action
Residents say the Kya Sands landfill was officially closed in 2010, but was illegally reopened a few years later and taken over by informal operators.
Elliott said the community has stepped in where authorities have failed, raising funds for private security, checkpoints and a mobile response unit. He said this has significantly reduced burning and dumping in the area.
However, he believes the problem is spreading across Johannesburg, with similar illegal sites now appearing in other suburbs.
Elliott warned that burning waste at these sites produces toxic smoke and poses serious health risks to nearby communities.
He added that a private security operation now costs about R85,000 a month, arguing this is a small amount compared to municipal budgets and could be used more widely if authorities acted.
Allegations of drug syndicates operating in Johannesburg
In related news, General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has also expressed concern about another kind of syndicate running Johannesburg. Following his July 6 briefing, the City of Johannesburg will investigate the allegations that there is a drug syndicate operating in Gauteng, including Johannesburg. The former chief of the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD), David Tembe said that the City will investigate allegations that firearms belonging to law enforcement officials disappeared.
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Organised syndicates target solar panels
Previously, Briefly News reported that organised criminal syndicates are now specifically targeting South African homes for solar panels, batteries, and gas bottles. According to reports, SAPS data shows that between January and March 2026, more than 32,000 home burglaries were recorded across the country. That breaks down to roughly 360 incidents every single day. Taylor said these syndicates arrive prepared and move fast. They carry the right equipment to strip solar systems quickly and know exactly where to sell stolen goods.
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Source: Briefly News
