Harare City Council has grounded its refuse collection trucks
citing fuel shortages. This means residents will live side-by-side with garbage
until council secures the fuel to resume collections. The Herald understands
that Clean City, a private firm contracted by council to assist in garbage
collection, is also grounded.
Operations at Pomona landfill have also ground to a halt,
allegedly due to the fuel shortages.
In a statement, Harare City Council’s acting corporate
communications officer Mr Innocent Ruwende said: “The City of Harare wishes to
advise its valued residents and stakeholders that since Monday 25 November,
refuse collection and Pomona dumpsite operations were brought to a halt due to
unavailability of diesel in the country.
“The problem has also affected our partner, Clean City,
with whom we are actively working to find a permanent solution.”
But residents who spoke to The Herald said while fuel has
been in short supply in the last few days, the situation did not warrant a
suspension of refuse collection.
Mrs Otillia Mabeza said: “Yes, we have challenges regards
fuel, but the City of Harare had not been collecting refuse for some time now,
especially in Mabvuku, where I leave.
“Already we were worried that cholera might return and
strike us as was the situation in the past.”
Another resident, Mr Jeremiah Mariga, said: “The City of
Harare is generally incompetent. How do you say we do not have fuel when
commuter omnibuses and private vehicles are always on the road?
“I have this stinking feeling that City of Harare wants to
attract public sympathy and dodge the blame as they have done in the past, when
they said Government was to blame when it is their poor planning and cash flow
management.”
This week, the city went dry after Morton Jaffray Water
Treatment Plant was shut down all of last weekend for rehabilitation works.
Its closure became prolonged following a Zesa fault,
leaving most parts of Harare without water for almost a week, exposing
residents to potential health hazards, like typhoid and cholera
As council awaits fuel deliveries, Mr Ruwende has urged
ratepayers to separate organic and non-organic refuse at source.
“Bio-degradable waste can be used to make manure and
compost for gardening. This will minimise the amount of waste collected,” he
said.
It is thought that if City of Harare had sound revenue
mechanisms, and used the resources efficiently, fuel challenges would be
overcome as council could buy in bulk for its operations. Newsday
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