Talent Gore
Government is working on a schedule for refuse collection in business and residential areas as it works to restore order in Harare.
Littered streets and waste dumps have been the norm in both the business and residential areas of the capital.
The situation has not only been worsened by the failure on the local authority’s part, in providing adequate bins, but also by non-collection and irregular collection of waste.
Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Mangaliso Ndhlovu and the Environmental Management Agency officials, on Sunday toured some of the areas that have dumpsites.
The tour included Chitungwiza, Mbare, the central business district’s Market Square and Copacabana areas.
“The Ministry, through the Environmental Management Agency, is seized with task of restoring normalcy to Waste Management and today, I have been assessing the situation and getting an appraisal from EMA on the way forward,” said Minister Ndhlovu.
“It has emerged that a timetable is going to be set for business and residential areas for refuse collection.
“Capacitation of the Agency has already been done as we have supplied refuse trucks and tipper trucks to be used in these areas for a continuous process of keeping the city clean.”
Minister Ndhlovu said the success of all these efforts is anchored on strengthened enforcement and compliance.
“The whole government and society approach is therefore key in the entire waste management matrix,” he said.
“It is envisaged that collectively, we will have positive results that will uphold the constitutional right of every person in the country to a clean environment which is not harmful to health in terms of section 73 of the constitution of Zimbabwe.
“The success of all these efforts is anchored on strengthened enforcement and compliance, education and awareness as well as regular and timely collection of waste with all support structures in place to have a clean Harare Metropolitan Province.
“The Government has noted with great concern that most urban local authorities have dismally failed to collect waste as well as to remove the mushrooming dumpsites sprouting within communities.”