Wallace Ruzvidzo and Harmony Agere Zimpapers Reporters
BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) is exploring waste sorting and processing facilities modelled on Harare’s Geo Pomona Waste Management plant as it seeks lasting solutions to the environmental and public health challenges at Richmond Landfill, popularly known as Ngozi Mine.
Bulawayo mayor Councillor David Coltart said the city needed modern waste management facilities to address the impact of landfill operations, including toxic fumes affecting residents of Cowdray Park and surrounding communities.
Cllr Coltart was speaking after leading a delegation of councillors and senior council officials on a tour of the Geo Pomona facility in Harare, where they assessed waste separation and processing operations.
“We understand that we have a major problem at Ngozi Mine. It needs a sorting facility and it needs a processing facility. It has discharged toxic fumes which particularly affect the people of Cowdray Park and that’s unacceptable,” he said.
“So as a city we need processing in particular. So it’s been very useful.”
The visit comes amid continuing concerns over smoke and fumes from Richmond Landfill, which have affected communities in the western parts of Bulawayo and intensified calls for a more sustainable approach to waste management.
Cllr Coltart described the tour as highly informative, saying the delegation was interested in how waste could be separated and processed into materials for reuse or other productive purposes.
“This haias been done here. We were particularly interested in the sorting plant and we are interested in the processing plant which hasn’t been constructed here yet but apparently will be in the course of the next 18 months,” he said.
He said Bulawayo was keen to establish what the model could offer the city, but stressed that affordability would determine whether it could be adopted.
“So we watch that with great interest. There’s no doubt that Bulawayo needs a facility like this. The critical thing for us though is what will it cost and is it affordable for us?,” said Cllr Coltart.
The mayor said waste management involved three broad stages: collection, separation and processing. While council believed its collection system was adequate, it wanted to assess options for improving waste separation and processing.
“So we’ve had a constructive engagement. Just in answering that, there are three broad processes involved in waste management. Firstly, collection. Secondly, separation. We see the separation plant behind us,” he said.
“And finally, processing waste into either aggregates, secondary uses of plastic or energy. And we’re very interested in seeing what Geo Pomona has done on the latter two. In the sorting and the processing of waste. Our belief is that our city does waste collection adequately.”
A technical team from BCC had previously visited the facility for familiarisation, with the latest tour allowing councillors and senior management to assess the operations and consider their potential application in Bulawayo.
Cllr Coltart said the city was open to further discussions with Geo Pomona, but no agreement had been reached.
“Understanding with precision what a company like Geo Pomona can offer us. And I need to stress on behalf of the council that we are not at all closed to a contract,” he said.
“The issue for us is what is on offer. What will it cost the residents of Bulawayo? And how will we afford to pay for it? So I trust that we will have further constructive discussions going forward.”
