BCC LOSING FIGHT AGAINST LITTER

Angelah Nothando Mlotshwa

The Bulawayo City Council has admitted that it is waging a losing war against litter and people that dispose garbage at illegal dumpsites.

Speaking during a consultative meeting that was held at Tower Block with bus operators, the City’s Director of Health Services Dr Edwin Sibanda Mzingwane said as long as transport operators continue to use illegal pickup points, illegal dumpsites will also continue to mushroom.

“Every time we try to clear and close the illegal dumpsites they always pop-up again”, Sibanda Mzingwane said.

“Vendors go where their business is good. Vending thrives at places like ranks and commuter omnibus pickup points so as long as bus operators continue to use undesignated ranks our City will continue to have garbage mounds all over especially at illegal points”, he added.

“People should be reminded and taught how to keep the City clean…as bus owners we must teach our passengers…the order we are trying to restore into the City is that there should be designated points for picking up wastes and how frequently to pick up that litter. If we remove all the buses from illegal pickups l can swear there will be no litter tomorrow as vendors won’t have any customers to sell to”, added Sibanda-Mzingwane.

The City’s Director for Health Services also called on retailers and other business people to use correct dumping sites as many have been caught on the wrong side of Bulawayo City Council (BCC) by-laws.

More that a dozen bus operators attended this meeting with some of these operators being ZUPCO, TRIP-TRANS and BROOKLYN.

Meanwhile some councilors have been suggesting that the City should enlist the services of the police and the army in this fight against residents that have turned what used to be one of the cleanest cities in Africa into one of the dirtiest urban areas.

Other critics blame the City Council itself for being unable to collect refuse. This forces residents to dump litter in undesignated areas.

Littering in the Central Business District which is the face of the City is worrying many stakeholders.

Meanwhile the Bulawayo City Council will implement a ruthless programme of chasing away traders operating at undesignated areas of the Central Business District.

In a statement that we will publish below the City Fathers revealed that they will target illegal car washes, fruit and vegetable vendors and unregistered taxis.

We hereby publish the full statement:

The City of Bulawayo would like to advise all stakeholders that it will be conducting an exercise to rid the City of all unauthorized activities with the effect from Wednesday, 11th January 2023.

All persons conducting the unauthorized informal trading on undesignated sites in the City of Bulawayo (on the streets, pavements, roadways) washing cars, repairing of vehicles, illegal pickup points by private vehicles, commuter omnibuses and buses, delivery of farm produce and other products onto the streets, push carts, heavy commercial vehicles into the Central Business District, illegal throwing and dumping of garbage or litter etc are given up to Tuesday, 10 January 2023 to cease their illegal activities.

With the effect from Wednesday, 11th January 2023 the City of Bulawayo will be conducting an exercise to eliminate all illegal activities so as to restore order and cleanliness.

The City has designated informal trading cities in the Central Business District and Suburban areas. All those who are interested in trading in the authorised sites are advised to visit the City of Bulawayo Vending Offices at the former Dugmore Clinic Offices along Basch Street for registration and licensing.

The City encourages trading at designated sites in terms of the Municipal by Laws. This fosters peace, cleanliness, and control of all informal trading activities through the association which have Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) with the City.

Offenders will be prosecuted.

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