Source: RBZ fails to release money for refuse trucks – DailyNews Live
Helen Kadirire 9 January 2019
HARARE – The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) is yet to release the money
required by Harare City Council (HCC) to pay duty for the 15 refuse trucks
that have been stuck in South Africa.
The trucks which were purchased in September 2017 were part of a fleet of
30 garbage compactors procured under a $30million multi-bank loan
facility.
Last year, town clerk Hosea Chisango led by the mayor, Herbert Gomba
engaged RBZ governor John Mangudya on the matter which the latter said he
would assist.
“For the past three or four months we have not received anything from the
RBZ for the plant and equipment that we bought. We are still in talks with
the governor for more money to be released,” Chisango said.
He said council needs $1,3 million from central government in order for
the trucks to be delivered into the country.
Harare is currently operating at 64 percent in its refuse collection as
only 23 garbage trucks are on the roads while the rest require repairs.
Due to the dilapidated refuse collection fleet, council last year resolved
to engage private truck owners sourced from the community as garbage
collectors.
A pilot project into refuse collection was conducted in August and
targeted Mabvuku, Tafara, Arcadia, Braeside, Hillside, St Martins,
Kambuzuma, Dzivaresekwa and Warren Park suburbs.
“The city has already written to the Procurement Regulatory Authority of
Zimbabwe for approval to engage individual truck owners in local
communities and was awaiting a response.
“Once the approval is granted by the SPB an advert to call bids would be
advertised to engage owners of seven tonne caged trucks from local
communities for the provision of door to door refuse collection services
in Harare,” read part of the November 2018 minutes.
At the height of the cholera outbreak government availed $200 000 for the
repair of 14 trucks which would be used to collect garbage to avoid
haphazard refuse dumps across the city.
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