Cabinet approves proposed privatization of Harare Waste Management

Cabinet has approved the proposed privatization of Harare Waste Management due to the city’s failure to manage solid waste effectively.

Despite collecting rates for waste management, Harare City Council has been unable to provide functional systems, leading to uncollected garbage and illegal dumpsites.

The Harare City Council formally requested that the Central Government takes over the collection of solid waste management.

The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works is now working on putting in place functional systems and components to collect refuse.

Cabinet highlights that in terms of the 2nd and 3rd schedules of Urban Councils Act, Harare City Council is obliged to remove and treat effluent, refuse and human waste for the Council area.

Despite the Harare City Council levying and collecting rates for the purpose of waste management and having adequate legislative provisions to support such functions and operations it has continuously failed to provide functional systems for solid waste management.

The failure is evidenced by the existence of heaps of uncollected garbage.

Zwnews