BULAWAYO mayor David Coltart has apologised to residents over delayed refuse collection due to shortage of refuse compactors.
This was revealed in a report of the Health, Housing and Education Committee during the previous full council meeting, where he revealed that all the four-newly commissioned refuse compactors had gone for routine service to the supplier during the period in question.
“The city is facing a shortage of refuse compactors,” Coltart said.
“All the four newly commissioned refuse compactors had gone for routine service to the supplier.”
According to the minutes, the other refuse compactors were in the workshop waiting to be fixed.
However, residents were ordered to take refuse back to their properties if refuse collection had skipped their areas.
Residents have a tendency of leaving their refuse bags outside their yards waiting for the next collection, exposing the bags to stray dogs.
The refuse bags also foul the environment.
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The mayor also apologised to the residents who had gone for close to a month without water, especially in the high-density areas.
“This was caused by a combination of factors which included pump break down, routine maintenance and electricity faults. Water is a priority,” he said.
“There was a need to secure short and long-term solutions to the water challenges.”
Coltart noted that the sewer reticulation system had challenges because of water shedding.
“A company from India had approached the council and had proposed new solutions.
“These solutions had been implemented in India.”
Meanwhile, one councillor expressed concern over the heavy littering caused by illegal vending activities.
However, the committee did not specify on how the heavy littering would be dealt with.
Councillor Dumisani Nkomo concurred and suggested that littering fines should be reviewed upwards.
“In other cities like the City of Victoria Falls, littering fines were pegged at US$100. The same should apply in the city,” Nkomo said
Councillor Mmeli Thobeka Moyo supported the reviewing of littering fines, suggesting that communities should have enforcement teams in all the wards.
