Bulawayo City Council (BCC) continues to grapple with challenges in refuse collection, stemming from a shortage of operational refuse collection trucks.
The latest full council minutes revealed that the local authority, to meet the demand effectively, requires 26 refuse trucks.
However, it currently possesses only 16.
This shortage has resulted in significant delays in clearing refuse from both residential and commercial areas.
Despite the acquisition of two new refuse trucks in October, there remains a pressing need for at least 10 additional trucks to ensure the timely and adequate delivery of refuse collection services.
The Health, Housing, and Education report emphasised the ongoing struggle, stating, “During the month of October, two new refuse vehicles were received, bringing the number of refuse compactors to 16 against a demand for more than 26. A half-tonne new supervisory vehicle was also received, bringing the running supervisory vehicles to 4 against a requirement of 10. Three of the vehicles were nearly 30 years old and constantly experienced breakdowns.”
Due to these shortages council refuse compactors are limited to servicing the eastern areas once weekly, while the western areas rely on the Community Refuse Removal Programme (CRRP).
Additionally, community truckers are enlisted to augment refuse collection in the Central Business District (CBD).
The report noted that collection of waste from high waste-generating premises was being carried out on weekends, primarily Saturdays, due to the constraints posed by available refuse compactors and staff schedules.
The challenges extend to healthcare facilities, where the dedicated waste-clearing truck has experienced mechanical faults. To mitigate the impact, supervisory vans are temporarily being employed to collect waste from clinics.
The report further highlighted that in the CBD, the most affected were those with high pedestrian volume hence the need for awareness campaigns on keeping the city clean.
“The streets in the CBD were swept daily during the month. The streets, however, got dirty soon after they were swept due to heavy littering. Littering at the high-pedestrian volume areas such as J. Moyo between 4th and 5th Avenue, L. Takawira/fort Street, 6th Avenue/ Lobengula Street, 5th Avenue and Fort St/10th Avenue remained high despite the areas being swept daily. More awareness sessions are needed to keep the city clean.”
In the CBD, areas with high pedestrian volumes, including J. Moyo between 4th and 5th Avenue, L. Takawira/Fort Street, 6th Avenue/Lobengula Street, 5th Avenue, and Fort St/10th Avenue, are particularly affected by littering despite daily street sweeping efforts.
The report suggests the necessity for increased awareness campaigns to foster a cleaner environment in these high-traffic areas. Overall, addressing the shortage of refuse trucks remains a critical priority for Bulawayo City Council to enhance its waste management services and maintain a cleaner urban environment.
