Source: City refuse deal raises stink | The Herald 12 SEP, 2019
Mr Chideme Yeukai Karengezeka Municipal Correspondent
Harare City Council is under fire from residents after it engaged a private company, Clean City Africa, to start collecting refuse in some selected suburbs and charge ratepayers directly, yet it is still charging the same ratepayers for refuse collection.The development also comes at a time when residents are aggrieved by the local authority, which has been struggling to collect refuse.
The waste management solutions company flighted an advert in the press on Tuesday informing residents that it had partnered with HCC to collect refuse for a monthly fee of $19,50 for high-density suburbs and $28,50 for medium and low-density suburbs.
The selected suburbs are Alexandra Park, Avenues, Avondale, Belvedere, Borrowdale, Cranborne, Eastlea, Greendale, Southerton, Mbare, Mt Pleasant, Tafara, Waterfalls, Westgate, Hatcliffe, Hatfield, Highlands, Mabelreign and Mabvuku.
In an interview, Zimbabwe Combined Residents and Ratepayers Association (Zicora) president Mr Stephen Nyabvure said the city had to stop charging residents for refuse service as a matter of urgency.
“While we appreciate the idea of keeping the city clean it is grossly unfair and illegal for Harare residents to pay double for refuse collection and this has to be addressed urgently,” he said.
“If it has indeed engaged this partner then it must stop charging residents.”
Mr Nyabvure said the city must make clean deals to avoid corruption and should communicate such developments to residents.
“We urge the City of Harare not to make deals clandestinely as this has the effect of antagonising ratepayers,” he said. “We know that Harare never wanted other stakeholders to collect refuse on its behalf but due to lobbying by other stakeholders such as Higher Life Foundation it has succumbed to pressure.
According to the advert, Clean City Africa advised residents who wish to get their service to register to get bin liners.
It also noted that the City of Harare will continue collecting refuse in all other residential areas not included on the list.
Contacted for comment over the double billings, HCC corporate communications manager Mr Michael Chideme said the city was going to address the matter soon.
“We are still negotiating a payment method and who to pay to,” he said. “Negotiations are still on and once everything is concluded we will notify residents on what to do though currently there is a proposal to pay directly to Clean City Africa using EcoCash platform,” he said.
COMMENTS
You seem to have no solutions but just want to see a stink everywhere, even where there is none. Refuse collection is no joke and we have seen the mess over decades, during which nothing was done. Someone rises to the occasion and what is seen is stink, not the benefits that include a cleaner city, healthy people and less deaths from hygiene diseases. Just travel to other nations and compare where you stand guys before quarreling over who is going to remove the stink. Others who so wish must join to remove garbage, to try and stop those who have decided against all odds to make it their mission to remove this mess seems quite irresponsible. I advise the association to ensure council stops billing them for service not rendered, complete with removing payments that have been done for ages with no service, while allowing people who have decided to clear the stink room to do so.