Belarus refuse trucks set to boost Bulawayo waste collection

Peter Matika [email protected]
THE Government expects the delivery of refuse collection trucks from Belarus, a move that is anticipated to strengthen waste management operations and improve service delivery in Bulawayo and other local authorities struggling with ageing vehicle fleets.
The development was revealed during a Bulawayo City Council Health, Housing and Education Committee meeting, where councillors discussed persistent refuse collection challenges affecting several suburbs and the central business district.
According to the committee report, the city has been battling inadequate refuse collection capacity, with only a handful of its refuse compactors operational at any given time, resulting in waste accumulation in residential areas and sanitary lanes.
During deliberations, councillors raised concerns over increasing illegal dumping sites and littering, warning that the city’s cleanliness standards were under pressure due to limited resources.
Committee chairperson Councillor Nomagugu Khumalo said Bulawayo’s vision of becoming a smart city was being undermined by ineffective refuse removal and the growing number of illegal dumping sites.
She noted that the city had too few refuse trucks and limited resources to adequately respond to waste management demands across all suburbs.
Responding to the concerns, the Director of Health Services said the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works had advised council that refuse removal trucks procured from Belarus were expected to arrive during May.
“The Ministry of Local Government had promised Council that refuse removal trucks from Belarus would be arriving in May, hence improvement in refuse removal would be guaranteed,” reads part of the report.
The anticipated delivery comes as local authorities across the country seek to modernise service delivery infrastructure and improve environmental health standards.
Bulawayo has been relying on private waste transporters from the Bulawayo Waste Management Truckers Association to supplement council operations and clear accumulated refuse.
The committee report shows that during part of April, council had between six and eight refuse compactors available for daily waste collection, before the number increased to between 10 and 11 following repairs to several vehicles.
Despite the improvements, authorities acknowledged that demand continued to outstrip available resources.
Government and local authorities have in recent years strengthened cooperation with Belarus under a broad programme aimed at improving municipal services through the acquisition of equipment, machinery and specialised vehicles.
The expected arrival of the refuse trucks is seen as a key intervention that could help reduce waste backlogs, improve environmental hygiene and support cleaner urban communities.