Beverly Bizeki
After missing three completion deadlines over the past three years, Masvingo City Council has revealed that Cambria Farm landfill construction project is now 98.5 percent complete.
This came out in the Public Works and Planning Committee minutes of April 13, 2023 where council stated that project completion status was at 98.5 percent.
“It was reported that electrification of landfill offices had been completed, covering tent had been procured and it is waiting to be transported to the site. Hiring of excavation services was in progress.
“It was also reported that dewatering and debris removal from the pond and preparation of leachate pond reconstruction was underway. The overall project completion status was at 98.5 percent,” read part of the minutes.
The landfill which is meant to relieve the old Runyararo West dump site was set to be complete initially in September 2021 but has on record been missing deadlines.
In February 2022, Masvingo City Mayor Councillor Maboke took the Engineering Department to task for misleading him in 2021 when he told a full council meeting that the project will be complete on the given dates.
“Right now you are proposing that you will finish work after the rainy season, you do not know when the rains will stop and from my own point of view you have failed to that end,” Cllr Maboke said to the Engineering department.
In May 2022, council missed yet another deadline citing financial constraints as the major reason behind the delay in completion of the project.
“We couldn’t finish the Cambria Farm landfill project by end of May as we promised because most of the money that is supposed to be used on the project comes from devolution funding.
“We are expecting to receive the money as soon as possible since we have sent our budget. However, using internal council funds, we managed to buy some lining material and engage manpower that will be working there for the next two weeks,” said Town Clerk Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa.
In October 2022, council promised that the landfill would be functional by the end of that same month but that did not materialize.
