via Cash-strapped Bulawayo stops refuse collection | The Zimbabwean by Pamenus Tuso 15.10.13
Bulawayo council, plunged into a deep financial crisis by a government directive to scrap debts owed by residents, says it has run out of money to collect rubbish, sparking fears of a disease outbreak.
Bulawayo lost $46m after the government’s election campaign promise to write off debts. Since July, the city has struggled to pay salaries and pay its debts for essential services it receives from other suppliers.
Last week, the council publicly notified its residents of the crisis, saying most low-density areas and some former townships would be most affected.
“Council sincerely regrets to announce that there is an interruption in the refuse removal service in the low-density and parts of the high-density suburbs until further notice,” said Middleton Nyoni, the town clerk.
Nyoni advised residents to keep uncollected rubbish in their yards instead of dumping it.
Already heaps of refuse have accumulated in most open spaces around Pumula, Sizinda and Nketa. “The situation is now sliding back to the pre-inclusive government situation where garbage went for several months without collection,” said Gift Moyo, a Pumula resident.
“Before directing councils to scrap the bills, the government should have first of all put mechanisms in place to curb such eventualities,” said Emmanuel Ndlovu, the programmes manager at the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association. “We thought we had passed the era of uncollected refuse.’ Bulawayo has 13 refuse trucks, out of a normal fleet of 21.
COMMENTS
This must be the most ridiculous statement from a highly paid senior council official.Progressive minds would come up with innovative solutions.I once lived in an industrialised country where refuse was collected weekly but one week it’s ordinary domestic refuse whilst the following week it is garden and recyclable refuse like lawn/tree clippings,and cardboard.Residents are free to take any items they wish to dispose of at any other time by transprting their refuse to designated points where the bigger refuse truck collect to other processing plants.Council should use the Khami road site for residents to dump packaged refuse and then use their trucks to move it from there and this would cut costs considerably.Open air tipping sites can be improved if people are taught to separate refuse and only dump organic and recyclable materials only AND not any material that is likely to decompose and result in smell and fly nuisance.Come on fellows use a bit of common sense and innovation
The way KoNtuthu is dirty l thought they stopped a long time ago!
Yeka babuse uzobathini kanti. Kudala balibulala izwe. Sekuyafana.
This does not need a rocket scientist to analyse all this.These are the results of ZANU PF.Poor BYO the Lord will come to your rescue one day.Anyways i just want to see how long this corrupt govt will last.
Vukani Madoda. Great idea. I doubt though it could be practical in Phumula, Sizinda and Nketa. Maybe in Khumalo, Matsheumhlophe and Mahatshula yes.
Councillors could stop attending meetings and pretending to be doing “business” by getting their hands dirty here. Since Council cant pay the drivers, how about our councillors volunteer and drive the trucks. Some youths would volunteer for a some steak and a scud or 2 per day………kkkk
Guys guys guys stop blaming the council there is nothing they can do in a country where the region as a whole (Bulawayo) is not supported by those in government.My advice is look at it as a business opportunity,instead of all of you buying those taxis that will die in a year or two buy a mazda pick up (parts and service readily available0 then you start a Refuse Collection business.In few months you will be smiling your way to the bank.This is what our nation needs now, leadership is no longer in offices it has changed we walk with leadership and simply defined it is “taking up responsibility)”