​ Lerato Mailoane
As the pressure of e-waste mounts on the country, the Gauteng government says this situation cannot be allowed to continue and has today unveiled a ground-breaking e-Waste Management Strategy in partnership with the University of Johannesburg (UJ) to tackle the global problem of e-waste.
To date, the Gauteng province accounts for over fifty percent of e-waste in the country. Approximately 360 000 tons of e-waste enter South Africa annually. 
Launching the e-waste management solution on Tuesday, 1 March 2022 was Gauteng Premier, David Makhura,  MEC for Finance and e-Government, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg: Research and Innovation, Professor Saurabh Sinha and Themba Ndlovu from the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NAFCOC) and other business leaders. 
Addressing the launch, Premier Makhura said it was a proud moment to witness the launch of the e-waste strategy which responds directly to the ever-increasing volumes of e-waste. 
"This launch is aimed at addressing both the mounting e-waste and the stubborn unemployment crisis. 
"The e-waste management strategy and partnership with UJ creates an ecosystem to discard, recycle or donate e-Waste products in a manner that creates small businesses and job opportunities among the youth,", said Makhura 
The Premier said this was a paradox as cities and urban regions are experiencing the benefits of technology but are also facing a mounting problem of waste management and waste disposal as a critical dimension of the broad environmental and climate crisis. 
"Millions of tons of waste are filling landfill sites and municipal efforts at turning waste into energy are not moving at an acceptable pace in our municipalities. 
"As a result of the rapid pace of technological change, the management of e-waste that is, the disposal and recycling of electronic gadgets and electrical equipment, has become a world-wide environmental concern that requires a co-ordinated response and productive partnerships," he added.
He said there will be training programmes for collectors, separators and entrepreneurs. 
"We will start with training 200 young people immediately. By 2024, we will have over 2 800 young people who have been trained and employed in this e-waste management pilot programme," he said.
The strategy will bring together government, the private sector and universities to train the youth, SMMEs and waste pickers and empower them to take full advantage of the economic opportunities of the e-waste sub-sector of the waste and circular economy.