The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube Municipal Reporter
THE Bulawayo City Council on Friday last week commissioned two new refuse compactors, a move that is expected to improve refuse collection and curb the increasing number of illegal dumpsites in the city.The two are part of five compactors which the city expects to have purchased by the end of the year.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony held at the City Hall car park last Friday, the city’s acting mayor, Councillor Gift Banda revealed that the city required 25 trucks in order to cater for the entire city.
He said the idea was to revive the city’s status as one of the cleanest in the world.
“The City of Bulawayo requires 25 refuse trucks in order to cover the whole city. These two we are commissioning today (Friday) will make a small difference in our bid to try and regain the glory of a clean and safe environment in Bulawayo.
“I am hopeful that we will be able to cover the areas which were recently affected by the shortage of trucks during the month of December and we will go back to the routine we had set up last year for refuse collection,” Clr Banda said.
The acting mayor pleaded with residents to maintain a clean environment and desist from illegal dumping and littering.
“The commissioning of these trucks comes at an appropriate time which is just after the festive season when there was a lot of refuse in the city. The City of Bulawayo recognises that service delivery activities such as waste management are important in ensuring a healthy Bulawayo and protection of our environment.
“We need to ensure that we keep a litter-free environment for the City of Kings, the efforts of the residents and stakeholders are necessary in ensuring a partnership approach towards waste management. This is one of the reasons why we have invited stakeholders to become part of the Bulawayo Solid Waste Improvement Platform. We would like to thank all those who have heeded the call and have already started making headway in ensuring we encourage cleanliness,” Clr Banda said.
The acting mayor paid tribute to various organisations and individuals who played their part through the donation of bins and equipment in the fight against litter.
