Illegal dumpsites blight city

Ivan Zhakata and Muzodziwawashe Chivaviro

ILLEGAL dumpsites are mushrooming across Harare, as the local authority is failing to provide adequate service delivery to the residents.

Due to the non-collection of garbage in Harare suburbs, people have resorted to dumping their rubbish at open spaces in their neighbourhoods, creating illegal dumpsites.

Our news crew visited a number of illegal dumpsites developing across the city’s suburbs where rubbish was being dumped on street corners, open spaces and in graveyards, among other places.

This is in contrast with the city’s vision of becoming a world-class city by the year 2025.

High-density suburbs have become an eyesore as every street corner has an illegal dumpsite, while in the northern, eastern and western suburbs residents have taken it upon themselves to remove illegal dumpsites in their areas.

The city has attributed the non-collection of refuse to fuel shortages and lack of spare parts for refuse compactors that have broken down.

Council spokesperson Mr Michael Chideme said their operations were crippled by rates arrears.

“We are trying our level best under difficult operating conditions to provide services,” he said. “We are owed over $900 million in rates arrears, a debt that has literally crippled our operations. We have, however, stretched our arms and partnered with Clean City with a view to ensuring the private sector participatesn in garbage collection.”

In 2017, Harare City Council bought refuse trucks which are still stuck in South Africa as it has failed to raise over US$2 million required for their delivery.

There are conflicting figures on the money required for delivery of the trucks, with council claiming that US$3,3 million is needed, while the supplier insists US$2,4 million is all that is required.

The 15 trucks are part of the 30 compactors that were bought by the local authority from automotive manufacturer, FAW Group Corporation.

Last month, City of Harare partnered with Clean City Africa (Private) Limited for doorto-door refuse collection across the city.

This came after various concerns from the residents about the non-collection of refuse by the city which was reportedly contributing to disease outbreaks.

Clean City Africa is mandated to provide waste collection and disposal services.

The partnership is expected to see an improvement in refuse collection in the city especially in Harare North, East and West where an outcry has been raised over the non-collection of refuse and where illegal dumpsites are now a comon site.

Clean City started its pilot project last year collecting refuse from Alexandra Park, the Avenues, Avondale, Belvedere, Borrowdale, Cranborne, Eastlea, Greendale, Hatcliffe, Hatfield, Highlands, Mabelreign, Mabvuku, Marlborough, Mbare, Mt Pleasant, Southerton, Sunningdale, Tafara, Waterfalls and Westgate.