Michael Chideme (City of Harare spokesperson)
The City of Harare (CoH) which was recently punished by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) for failing to collect refuse in and around the city has asked for mercy from residents.
EMA recently hit the Harare local government with a $800 000 fine for failing to collect garbage regularly on a number of refuse collection points scattered in the city center and surrounding areas.
Speaking earlier on, EMA Provincial Education and Publicity Officer for Harare Metropolitan Batsirai Sibanda disclosed that in 2021 alone, CoH had been fined three times for failing to collect refuse.
Apparently, the local authority has apologised to the residents: “We apologize to residents for delays in collecting garbage. We are currently low on refuse trucks because of constant breakdowns.
“We are procuring 15 new trucks. Accelerated efforts underway to repair the existing fleet with support from stakeholders. To hire in the interim,” said local authority.
Meanwhile, council is encouraging residents to separate their garbage at source, adding that there is money in garbage. Council says there are companies waiting with dollars to buy the trash for recycling.
On another note, the local authority says vendors can now safely relocate to various designated trading sites within and outside the Central Business District (CBD).
Adding that a lot of buildings in the CBD have been converted into market stalls, also pointing out that new markets such as Fourways and Copacabana Mall have been built to accommodate the informal sector.
-Zwnews
