dyton mupawaenda
Thupeyo Muleya–Beitbridge Bureau
Beitbridge Municipality authorities have engaged land developers in the border town to construct a standard engineered landfill.
The move is set to help the cash-strapped municipality to improve its capacity to deal with solid waste management in line with the town’s rapid growth, especially in the last decade.
It is understood that the town council has been struggling to raise US$500 000 to fund the building of one cell of the landfill project.
A site has already been identified west of the town where three cells that can last over a decade will be constructed.
According to the town council, the current dumpsite that was set up in the 1970s has outlived its lifespan.
Beitbridge Town Clerk, Mr Loud Ramakgapola, yesterday said the landfill was a critical facility that had been on the cards for a long time.
“We are working with land developers who are helping us to excavate the landfill area. We estimate that we have done 20 percent of the work,” he said.
“We have also built a recycling plant adjacent to the landfill.
“This is a massive project which will need external funding. It might take us up to five years to complete this project”.
Beitbridge is the face of Zimbabwe to those coming in through South Africa and those in transit (15 000 daily) from other countries in the region (SADC).
The municipality is collecting around 700 tonnes of solid waste monthly although they believe that the 70 000 population is producing in excess of 1 000 tonnes of solid waste.
The town’s environmental officer, Mr Pio Muchena, told a parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts recently that the town was generating a lot of litter due to its high economic activity and location as a transit point.
“We have pressure at our dumpsite and are hopeful that we will have a standard dumpsite because we are limited in terms of resources.
“With part of the funds we received from the Government for the devolution initiative, we have already ordered a Tractor Loader Backhoe (TLB) and a bigger refuse compactor,” said Mr Muchena.
He said they had also lined up over 150 bins along the highway and major link roads to minimise littering.
In addition, they have licensed a number of recycling companies to help with the separation of waste at the source.
Mr Muchena said they were also working with community environment monitors, and waste management clubs to improve their capacity to manage solid waste.
Online Reporter