In Hulene, in the suburbs of Maputo city, the closure of the largest garbage dump generates anguish for those who depend on garbage to survive. Most of them are women living on the poverty line. They scavenge daily for garbage in this area of about 25 hectares.

Official data cited by Euro News Portuguese, indicate that there are at least 500 waste pickers at the Hulene dump, but Justino Cuna, who has worked there for 10 years, guarantees that there are more than a thousand. Justino is trying to create an association to defend the rights of the waste pickers in Maputo.

"We depend on this place," he stresses, in the midst of a group of young pickers waiting for the next garbage truck to arrive a few meters from the main entrance. "Removing the dump without looking at this situation can increase the level of prostitution," Cuna exemplifies, "considering that a good part of these pickers are women." "There is also a risk of an increase in crime," he adds.

In 2018, 16 people died buried in this dump. Heavy rain caused a landslide in an area where the accumulated garbage was the equivalent height of a three-story building. The tragedy became a threat to the business of the Hulene waste pickers.

Since the incident, the municipal authorities have received various support for waste management, most notably initiatives supported by Japan, but the closure, budgeted at around $110 million, has no date yet.

Every day, it is estimated that more than 1,200 tons of solid waste are deposited in this dump located along one of Maputo's main arteries, the avenue Julius Nyerere.

In addition to the risk of a new incident, the authorities justify the closure with the need to curb the environmental impact and protect the health of the residents who live very close to the site.

Most of the pickers agree with the closure plan, but repeat that it is necessary to help those who live off this site.