Siziba Thando
Zim GBC News reporter
A growing illegal dumpsite is casting a pall over a section of the city, drawing fierce criticism from local business owners and residents who say the stench and unsightliness are damaging livelihoods and posing a serious health hazard.
The site, which is reportedly at Robert Mugabe and 4th avenue, being expanded nightly by traders from a nearby market, has become the focal point of frustration for the local community.
Those working and living in its shadow describe a worsening situation that demands immediate intervention from the Bulawayo City Council.
Mr. Patel, a premises owner adjacent to the dumpsite, voiced his deep concern over the escalating problem.
“It’s not just an eyesore anymore; it’s a crisis waiting to happen,” he stated. “The urgency for a solution cannot be overstated. We need action now, not tomorrow.”
The economic impact is being sharply felt by local entrepreneurs. Mr. Thando Maphosa, who works for a company operating near the site, detailed the commercial damage.
“This dumpsite is killing our business,” he lamented. “The smell is overwhelming and drives customers away. It’s not just us—there’s a butchery nearby that is severely affected. How can you sell fresh meat when the air is filled with the smell of rotting waste? It’s unacceptable.”
Emphasizing the business community’s distress, residents point to the nature of the dumping, which undermines cleanup efforts. Phathisani Jele, a Bulawayo resident familiar with the area, identified the source.
“The people causing this are mainly from the market, who come under cover of darkness to dump their waste here,” Jele said. He proposed a straightforward countermeasure.
“The City Council should at least appoint security to guard the site at night. We need to stop this at the source before more people get sick from the flies and the smell.”
The concerns raised highlight a dual threat: the immediate economic strain on local commerce and the longer-term public health risks associated with uncontrolled waste, including vermin, disease vectors, and air pollution.
The crisis is not confined to one location. A similar, worsening situation is unfolding at Jason Moyo Street, where a pile of rotten vegetables and market waste is creating a parallel health and economic nightmare for a different set of residents and businesses.
Here, vendors from nearby informal trading areas are blamed for dumping organic waste that quickly decomposes, generating a putrid smell and attracting swarms of flies. The stench permeates the air, affecting street-level shops and upper-floor apartments alike.
Calls are now mounting for the Bulawayo City Council to deploy enforcement measures, such as nighttime surveillance, and to establish a clear, accessible waste management protocol for market traders to prevent further illegal dumping.
As the heap grows, so does the chorus of dismay. The message from affected businesses and citizens is clear: the time for talk is over; decisive action is required to reclaim the area from the grip of illegal waste and protect the community’s health and economic well-being.
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