City inspects Khayelitsha businesses, educates residents on waste management
17 September 2025
At the recent Mayoral Service Delivery Blitz in Khayelitsha, the City of Cape Town’s Urban Waste Management (UWM) Directorate stepped up its efforts to keep communities clean by both enforcing waste by-law compliance among businesses and building awareness among residents.
The UWM By-law Enforcement Unit conducted inspections of local businesses to ensure compliance with the City’s Integrated Waste Management Plan (IWMP) requirements.
Under the City’s Waste Management By-law, all businesses are legally required to develop and implement an IWMP, which sets out how they will prevent, minimise, reuse, recycle and safely dispose of the waste they generate. This requirement is critical to:
- Reduce the burden on landfill sites,
- Limit illegal dumping,
- Encourage recycling and waste minimisation, and
- Ensure businesses take responsibility for the environmental impact of their operations on surrounding communities.
Officers inspected 21 businesses across Khayelitsha. Of these, only one business was found non-compliant with IWMP requirements. The non-compliant business was issued with written notices and given a clear deadline to submit their IWMP. Failure to comply will result in fines and possible further enforcement action.
‘Waste management is not only the City’s responsibility. Businesses are key players in building a cleaner and more sustainable Cape Town. Through these blitz inspections, we are both educating and holding stakeholders accountable to ensure that everyone plays their part in reducing waste and protecting our environment.
‘Education and enforcement must go hand in hand. By ensuring businesses meet their legal obligations, we create a culture of responsibility at every level. This combination is what will help us build cleaner, safer, and more dignified communities in the long term,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Alderman Grant Twigg.
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Published by:
Media Office, City of Cape Town
