Gweru City Council claims it is meeting its target of collecting refuse with a health progress report pointing to removal of an average 7 394 cubic meters of garbage per month.
By Stephen Chadenga
The claims from the report comes amid a background of heaps of uncollected refuse that have become an eyesore in the Midlands capital.
The municipality has over the years faced challenges in collecting waste particularly at the Kudzanai bus terminus with health experts warning of possible disease outbreaks.
“We have plans to improve solid waste management by increasing volumes of refuse removed from 6 000 cubic meters to 6 500 cubic meters per month by December 2015,” council’s latest health progress report notes.
“A total of 29 577 cubic meters of refuse was removed from January to April 2015 averaging 7 394 cubic meters per month which shows we are on target.”
Acting director of health services, Christopher Ruwodo said the local authority collected garbage daily in the city centre except on Sundays but blamed the influx of vendors for the heaps of refuse in the city.
The local authority has been dogged by inadequate refuse trucks over the years with the few operational mostly broken down.
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In a research on the “Challenges of Solid Waste Management in the Central Business District of the City of Gweru” carried in 2007, Remigios Mangizvo pointed out that results revealed the lack of resources by council, attitude by members of the public and lack of complementary action by stakeholders contributed to poor solid waste management practices in the city.
He recommended community education, awareness campaigns and involvement of the business community in waste management.
