Bulawayo faces refuse collection crisis

By Henry Makiwa
23 November 2007

Garbage collection in the country’s second city of Bulawayo will now only happen once a month, the city’s authorities have said. Bulawayo’s city mayor on Tuesday told the press that the shortage of garbage collecting vehicles and the scarcity of fuel in the country has forced the city to resort to clearing refuse only once a month.

The city, already reeling from a diarrhoea outbreak as a result of water shortages, now faces a major health hazard as garbage has been piling up around the city. Health experts say Bulawayo has recorded over 3,600 cases of diarrhoea since the disease hit the city in August 2007. They warn that uncollected refuse could create a rodent problem, which could expose residents to other diseases.

Once again Robert Mugabe’s economic mismanagement has emerged as the root cause of the problem. The fuel crisis currently gripping the country has been cited as the main cause of Bulawayo’s decision to limit garbage collection. The lack of foreign currency to acquire spares for its refuse collection fleet of vehicles has compounded the crisis.

Bulawayo resident Mr. Zenzele said an acrid stench has now enveloped most of the high-density suburbs, where refuse has not been collected for the past three weeks.

He said: “We understand that fuel supplies from the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe to our city council are erratic and inadequate to meet the needs. To make matters worse, local authorities - like our city - are not allowed to purchase fuel on the black market. The government says it is illegal. We now face a severe health crisis.”

The government’s clear inability to handle Zimbabwe’s economy means that long suffering citizens cannot expect any immediate solutions to the many crises they now face..