Health and Environment Reporter
BULAWAYO – Families in Cowdray Park are living in a state of constant health anxiety as toxic smoke from relentless fires at the Ngozi Mine landfill continues to engulf their homes, with residents and officials now demanding immediate and long-term solutions.
Every night, Kayleen Dube performs the same futile ritual: closing her windows tightly in a desperate attempt to keep the poisonous smoke out.
“By morning, my children wake up coughing, and my elderly mother often complains of chest pains and headaches,” she said.
“We breathe poison daily. We are living in fear because we do not know what this smoke will do to our health in the future.”
Her story is a common one in the suburb, where the city’s largest landfill has become a perennial health hazard due to poor management, a lack of equipment, and frequent fires often started by scavengers burning rubbish to extract metals.
Memory Ncube, another resident, expressed deep frustration with the lack of action.
“We keep hearing promises but nothing changes,” she said.
“The smoke is dangerous; people have asthma and chest problems now, and still there is no action. It feels like we are forgotten people. We are also citizens who deserve clean air and a safe environment.”
The situation is exacerbated by the absence of compactors, firebreaks, or proper waste separation at the dumpsite. Methane gas from decomposing waste further fuels the combustion, creating a cycle of pollution that nearby residents cannot escape.
Michael Ndlovu, a father raising his family near the mine, described the conditions as unbearable.
“People are struggling because of the pollution. We are breathing in toxic air every day, and the fires at Ngozi Mine never stop. Our children are growing up in a dangerous environment and the council must take this seriously,” he urged.
Ward 28 Councillor Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu acknowledged the severity of the crisis, describing it as a major health hazard.
“We don’t know the long-term effects of the smoke from Ngozi Mine, and we need a lasting solution,” he stated.
He revealed that relocating the dump had been proposed but was deemed too costly.
“The city council said it would cost about US$4 million. Environmentalists suggested that we focus on compacting the waste. We support this, as proper waste management will reduce burning and smoke, protecting residents’ health.”
The councillor also pointed to a potential opportunity, noting,
“There is methane gas at Ngozi Mine… if we do proper waste separation, recycling, and set up a waste-to-energy plant, the site has the potential to produce a lot of electricity.
Whatever investment comes must also benefit the community.”
A recent council report indicates that a permanent solution may be on the horizon. The Town Clerk, Christopher Dube, advised councillors that the government has directed all local authorities to manage landfill sites following Harare’s Pomona model, where a private company generates energy from waste.
The report stated that the Ngozi Mine site would be tendered out in line with public procurement regulations, promising proper management once the process is finalized.
For now, residents continue to wait, hoping that the promises of action will finally materialize into clean air for their families.
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