Private firms to clean up councils’ mess

Mukudzei Chingwere Herald Reporter

With waste continuing to pile up, the Ministries of Local Government and Public Works and of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry must now look into giving central Government the legal authority to intervene, hire private companies to clean up the mess and make the inefficient local authorities pay.

Vice President Chiwenga, who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care, gave the directive on the National Environment Cleaning Day yesterday when he was leading the gathering of litter and rubbish in Harare Gardens.

Poor hygiene and poor waste management can be a health problem, with outbreaks of diseases like cholera and typhoid.

Collecting rubbish and taking action against illegal dumping and littering are at present pure local government functions, but local authorities have of late come under spotlight owing to their failure to deliver on their service delivery mandate, chief among them being waste management. This is largely an urban problem.

“At this point, let me direct the Ministries of Local Government and Public Works and Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, to look at the Environment Act and other relevant instruments to determine if Government can hire the private sector to clean up our cities, towns, growth points and garnish the accounts of the responsible authorities,” VP Chiwenga said.

VP Chiwenga commended the high diversity of those who joined hands for yesterday’s clean-up to be a success.

He said the spirit of unity in diversity was the right foundation for nation building and implored complementary efforts from vendors, the public and the local authority to complete the value chain for sustainable waste management.

“To this end, sustainability of today’s exercise rests on business communities coming in to assist the local authority and vendors with resources through the extended producer responsibility principle,” said VP Chiwenga. “May I urge the business sector to follow up on waste streams by tracking post-consumer waste bearing individual brand names to reduce waste in the environment.

“Companies can also consider incentivising communities to take back the post-consumer waste through a deposit system or running competitions, among other several options at your disposal.”

VP Chiwenga applauded corporates and civil society groups who established waste transfer centres or buy back centres in communities.

“Local authorities, with Harare included, must take advantage of opportunities associated with waste recycling, partnering with the private sector for better waste management pathways and easing the burden of being the sole operator in waste management,” said VP Chiwenga.

“This business of protecting the environment requires multi-stakeholder collaboration and partnerships. This will result in the ‘cleaner cities’ status we so much envisage for all our urban areas and growth points.”

VP Chiwenga implored local authorities to clear storm drains and illegal dumps as the rainy season approaches.

Yesterday’s clean-up day was the 49th since the launch of the programme by President Mnangagwa in December 2018.

Permanent Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Harare Metropolitan Province Mr Tafadzwa Muguti buttressed the need for an all stakeholder participation in waste management. “We want to caution the local authorities in the province who have not prioritised this programme,” he said.