Online Reporter
Mkhululi Ncube [email protected]
LOCAL Government and Public Works Minister Dr Daniel Garwe has given the Bulawayo City Council and Geo Pomona team one week to enter into an agreement to replicate the Geo Pomona waste management model at Richmond Landfill, commonly known as Ngozi Mine, as Government moves to urgently address the fumes choking residents in surrounding suburbs.
The directive comes amid mounting health complaints from residents, particularly in Cowdray Park, Emakhandeni and Luveve who have for years endured smoke and foul-smelling fumes from fires at the waste landfill.
Residents have complained of struggling to breathe when smoke settles over the suburb, with some saying the fumes have affected children and elderly people.
In some cases, families have had to temporarily move relatives suffering from respiratory problems to other suburbs when the smoke becomes severe.
The situation was described as a matter of life and death by Bulawayo Mayor Councillor David Coltart last year, with residents continuing to call for urgent intervention.
The landfill has experienced recurring fires, with residents saying the smoke can linger over communities for days. Complaints about the fumes date back several years, with residents accusing authorities of failing to find a lasting solution.
