Sikhulekelani Moyo
BULAWAYO mayor Councillor David Coltart has called for the urgent establishment of a waste sorting and processing plant at Ngozi Mine in Cowdray Park to address mounting waste management challenges and the environmental threat posed by the dumpsite.
Last week, Clr Coltart led a delegation from the City of Bulawayo and toured the Geo Pomona Waste Management plant in Harare to assess its operations as the local authority explores options for improving waste management in the city.
The delegation, which included the deputy mayor, Councillor Edwin Ndlovu, the town clerk, Mr Christopher Dube, councillors and senior council officials, toured the site’s waste sorting operations as discussions between the two parties continue.
Geo Pomona said it was open to further discussions with the City of Bulawayo and was willing to share skills and knowledge developed by its engineers with local authorities across Zimbabwe and other countries.
The visit comes as Bulawayo explores options for improving waste management, with the cost of any proposed arrangement and its affordability to residents likely to be central to the council’s decision.
The proposed facility is expected to improve waste management through the sorting and processing of waste, while providing a sustainable approach to tackling pollution and the persistent smoke affecting communities surrounding the dumpsite, particularly Cowdray Park.
Speaking during the city’s 83rd anniversary Civic Service at Presbyterian Church in the Whitestone Primary School Hall yesterday, Clr Coltart described Ngozi Mine as a festering sore, saying the current waste management challenges required urgent and sustainable interventions.
He said the city needed to move towards a more organised waste management system, supported by modern infrastructure and greater public responsibility in keeping the environment clean.
The mayor acknowledged that despite efforts by council’s cleansing department, littering remained a major challenge, undermining efforts to maintain a clean urban environment.
“We need a total change in the mindset of our people, despite the best efforts of our cleansing department, which I would argue is one of the best, the best in this country, if not one of the best in Southern Africa.
“Despite their best efforts, the city is still unacceptably littered and unclean,” he said.
Clr Coltart’s remarks come as residents of Cowdray Park continue to raise concerns over smoke and potentially harmful fumes from Ngozi Mine dumpsite, highlighting the need for a lasting solution to the city’s waste disposal challenges.
He said the establishment of a waste sorting and processing plant was now a matter of urgency.
The mayor also highlighted the need to improve the management of informal trading, saying the local authority must balance enforcement of municipal regulations with compassion for residents who depend on vending for their livelihoods.
He said the city should provide decent and organised trading facilities to accommodate informal traders, particularly women, while improving order and cleanliness in the central business district and other trading areas.
“It is a delicate balance to achieve; we cannot be seen as a harsh city. We need to get facilities constructed, Egodini, Bhaktas, the Highlanders, Mzilikazi, so that we’ve got acceptable facilities for those in the informal sector to go to,” said Clr Coltart.
The Civic Service commemorates Bulawayo’s declaration as a city on November 4, 1943.
Clr Coltart said the city’s 83-year history offered important lessons about confidence, unity and the need to confront present-day development challenges.
The mayor noted that Bulawayo was declared a city in November 1943, at a time of global uncertainty due to World War II, despite being deeply divided along racial lines.
He challenged residents to draw inspiration from the confidence demonstrated by the city’s leaders at the time and work collectively towards building a better future.
Reflecting on his three years as mayor, Clr Coltart said he had been encouraged by the goodwill shown by residents despite persistent service delivery challenges, including water shortages, burst sewer pipes and dilapidated roads.
He said the completion of Lake Gwayi-Shangani and Glass Block Dam would help address the city’s perennial water shortages.
He also revealed that Bulawayo’s wastewater treatment plants were operating at less than 20 percent capacity and called for urgent investment to rehabilitate the infrastructure.
The Civic Service was attended by deputy mayor Councillor Edwin Ndlovu, town clerk Mr Christopher Dube, councillors from various wards, council officials and residents.
The service featured praise and worship, with Presbyterian Church Pastor Winston Coltart delivering the sermon and Reverend Beki Moyo conducting prayers of intercession.
