Lydia Koto
Masvingo residents urged city council to adhere to set refuse collection schedules and prioritize solid waste management to safeguard the health of the city.
Giving contributions at the recent 2022 budget review and 2023 budget consultations, a resident urged council to collect refuse frequently to avoid a situation that would lead to proliferation of illegal dumpsites which would present a health hazard to the community.
“When people see that litter is not collected and becoming too much on the streets, they then dump the waste near our houses during the night. Some would drive cars loaded with litter while others use wheelbarrows to ferry the waste. Every morning we wake up to loads of dumped waste and that has become an eyesore on the environment.
“May you as council collect refuse frequently according to the timetable because that litter is now a threat to our health,” said a resident from ward 1.
Residents also urged the council to come up with ways of separating waste especially at business centers.
“Why wouldn’t you come with ways of separating waste especially at business centers? You can place bins for bottles and others for plastics materials so that waste does not mix,” one resident from ward 5 said.
Responding to the issue of separation of litter, Masvingo Town Clerk Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa said that they will sit down with his team and find ways of separating litter.
“I will sit down with my team and find ways on how best we can separate waste,” said Eng Mukaratirwa.
Masvingo residents also complained about council workers who are allegedly stealing their bins when collecting refuse so that they will sell them.
“Some of your workers are stealing our containers like plastic bags and buckets when collecting litter. l don’t know what they would want to do with them but l heard some saying they will sell them or convert to personal use,” said another resident.
Council also said Cambria Farm landfill is almost complete.
However, financially, using the new landfill will be associated with extra costs on part of council in terms of fuel, vehicle maintenance costs as well as paying personnel manning the dumpsite and council proposed the burden should be shared among residents.
The distance that council vehicles used to cover to reach out to the old dumpsite near Runyararo West suburb is 3 km but now it will be 15 km to Cambria Farm.
