Gweru City Council is generating 9 000 cubic metres of solid waste per month and the local authority is engaging community-based organisations (CBOs) in solid waste management, a senior council official has said.
By Stephen Chadenga
Health services director, Sam Sekenhamo said council noted that the local authorities’ greatest asset were its residents, hence, the idea of community involvement in solid waste management was born.
“Gweru generates about 9 000 cubic metres of solid waste on a monthly basis,” he said on Friday at a CBOs meeting at town house.
“Solid waste management has been traditionally a domain of the local authorities. Residents have been recipients of solid waste management services without much of their input to the system.”
Sekenhamo said council was going to involve the community in solid waste management through community sweeping groups, community refuse removal truckers, independent recycling assistants at landfills and the Gweru solid waste stewardship society.
On community sweeping groups, Sekenhamo said members would be chosen from wards and given renewable contracts, as well as agreed monthly allowances.
He said community refuse removal should have trucks ranging between three and half to 10-tonne trucks, while informal tenders would be invited for the salvaging of waste materials at landfills.
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The Gweru solid waste stewardship society comprises captains of industry, tertiary institutions, churches, non-governmental organisations, artists, government departments and residents’ associations.
Gweru Residents and Ratepayers’ Association chairperson, Cornelia Selipwe, however, said there was need for wide consultations to ensure the involvement of CBOs in refuse collection was not compromised.
“We have to ensure that this project is not subject to manipulation by council officials to avoid corruption, hence, the need to widely consult,” he said.
