More sweepers needed to deal with garbage at Egodini

By The NewsDay | Dec. 8, 2017 | 2 Min read

BULAWAYO city councillors have expressed concern over rampant illegal garbage dumping by commuters and traders at Egodini bus terminus and are calling for more sweepers to be deployed to the area.

BY TALENT GUMPO

Speaking at the recent full council meeting, ward 1 councillor Mlandu Ncube said only five sweepers operate at Egodini terminus. He said a lot of waste is generated at the busy terminus and the rainy season makes the situation dire.

“People come from all 28 wards and spend the day in the central business district, and specifically at Egodini, there is lot of trading going on. Residents frequent the area to board commuter omnibuses and, they contribute to litter produced there.

There is need for more sweepers to concentrate on Egodini in light of the city’s prospects of developing the area and building of a mall,” he said.

Ward 7 councillor James Sithole said the uncollected waste affects surrounding areas as it is carried by the wind to his ward. “Ward 1 workers have failed to handle the workload at Egodini and my residents are suffering the consequences. There is need for more sweepers to concentrate on the bus terminus to avoid this,” he said.

Councillor Charles Moyo shared the same sentiments, saying he saw a video clip on national television showing Egodini’s dirty environs.

According to recent full council minutes, the council health department revealed that it was facing manpower challenges.

Keep Reading

“The actual establishment of cleansing staff in the city centre was 88, currently there were only 13 with Egodini being cleaned by a community group,” reads part of the minutes.

Meanwhile, the take-off of the $60 million facelift of Egodini mall and Intermodal public transport hub is still in the pipeline with indications that it might commence soon. The project is expected to create thousands of jobs before and after completion.