…as the world commemorates Habitat Day
Emmanuel Chitsika
“The urgency of improving living conditions has been brought to the fore by Covid-19, which has devastated the lives of millions in cities. Access to clean water and sanitation, along with social distancing, are key responses to the pandemic. Yet in slums it has proved difficult to implement these measures. This means an increased risk of infection, not only within slums, but in whole cities,” said United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guteress.
The above remark by Guteress on this year’s commemoration of World Habitat Day running under the theme ‘Accelerating urban action for a carbon-free world’ might be in great contrast to the state of service delivery in Zimbabwe’s most urban centres if not all.
Much has been said, with local authorities facing accusations by residents over failure to prioritise the welfare of urban dwellers through failure to provide clean and safe water, poor solid waste disposal as well as liquid waste management that has seen the discharge of raw sewer into natural water bodies.
Despite the fact, that local government, communities, academic institutions and other stakeholders should work together to create sustainable, carbon-neutral inclusive cities and towns, local authorities are found wanting when it comes to service provision.
Masvingo Town Council has been caught off-guard on the provision of clean water consistently in this Covid-19 era when the precious liquid is much needed.
Solid and liquid waste management is another cause for concern for the country’s oldest city, with Mucheke and Shagashe rivers being sewer-infested though they feed into Lake Mutirikwi that in turn supplies water to the city.
Town Clerk Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa however reiterated council commitment towards improving service delivery.
“We are going to prioritize water supply in the city since it is constrained, making residents suffer especially during this Covid-19 pandemic when water is really needed.
“Our second priority is sanitation where the thrust is to collect 100 percent waste generated in the city and properly dispose it. We intend to boost our refuse collection fleet by purchasing two refuse compactors each year from 2021-2023,” said Eng Mukaratirwa.
Masvingo council have resumed construction works on the much awaited Mucheke Trunk Sewer project which the city fathers believe will go a long way in easing the overwhelmed sewer plants resulting in persistent sewerage pipe bursts.
Gweru mayor Josiah Makombe said their local authority has made several initiatives meant to protect the environment to ensure human health is prioritized.
“As a local authority, we ensuring that our environment is beautiful by ensuring city greening. We are encouraging residents to have zero carbon plans as climate is changing; we need to ensure that we are also taking that into cognisance for the sake of our health and well-being.
“We encourage stakeholders to avoid the unnecessary emission of carbon dioxide. Residents are also encouraged to make sure they dump refuse in bins so that our refuse collection team will collect on designated days,” said Makombe.
However, on the issue of making access to accommodation facilities is realised, Makombe highlighted that they do not have land for development of residential stands.
“Currently we do not have land for residential use. However we are encouraging our residents to be on the waiting list so that once we get land, they stand a chance to get stands,” added Makombe.
The plight of the vulnerable that have resorted to staying on streets of urban centres also highlight the dire need for proper shelter.
The UN set the Habitat Scroll of Honour award whose aim is to acknowledge initiatives, which have made outstanding contributions in various fields such as shelter provision, highlighting the plight of the homeless and improving the human settlements and quality of urban life.
Creating peace shelters for the vulnerable and displaced would go a long way in addressing such a societal ill.
The WHD commemorations come at a time statistics by the UN revealed that cities and towns across the globe are responsible for 70 percent global carbon dioxide from transport, buildings, energy and waste management that account for the bulk of urban greenhouse gas emissions.
