Online Reporter
Bruce Ndlovu and Gibson Mhaka
INFORMAL waste pickers at Ngozi Mine have expressed hope that the prospective implementation of the Geo Pomona waste management model will create more employment opportunities for 450 households in the area and beyond as Government and the City of Bulawayo move in to transform the city’s big waste dumping landfill.
While most residents in nearby Cowdray Park, who have had to endure choking smoke emanating from Ngozi Mine, are ecstatic at the prospect of a solution to the long-standing problem, some have expressed reservations about what the waste management transformation could mean for the livelihoods of scores of people living and working at the site.
Over the years, the landfill has become a lifeline for the destitute and desperate, with many relying on it for their livelihoods.
Recently, President Mnangagwa directed Government to intervene and find a lasting solution to the long-running crisis at the landfill, which has become a daily health and environmental headache for communities in Cowdray Park, Emakhandeni and Luveve.
Mr Gideon Tshuma, a community leader who has lived at the informal settlement at Ngozi Mine since 1994, told Zimpapers yesterday that Bulawayo’s industrial decline over the years had resulted in dwindling returns from the landfill, a situation that had been worsened by the growing number of people living and working at the site.
“When Bulawayo industries were booming, we had much more work to do, and we had a lot more material to work with. The big companies would come and dump their stuff here, and that gave us a lot to work with,” he said.
“Now, there are a lot more people working here, and it means making money is even harder. You need to gather material of up to 50kg just to make US$5.”
Mr Tshuma, who is known as the headman at Ngozi Mine, said that about 450 households were living at the site, with many residents relying on waste picking to make a living.
“We have about 450 households here at Ngozi Mine, and many people are unemployed and survive on waste picking. When we heard that Geo Pomona is coming, we became concerned because, as you can see, we have children who are going to school and families that depend on waste picking for survival,” he said.
“We’re appealing to the company not to simply remove us from the site. Instead, we want them to consider giving us employment opportunities. As you can see, these children have parents who are surviving on waste picking, so if this source of livelihood is taken away, many families will struggle to survive,” he said.
Mr Nqobizitha Ncube, another informal settler, said he had raised his children on money earned from Ngozi Mine and hoped that any changes would not affect his earning capacity.
“I have been here since 2006, so for me, I’m very interested in seeing what happens next with Ngozi Mine. We now know that there are changes afoot, and as people who live and work in this place, we hope that we’ll also be a part of this future,” he said.
“Ngozi Mine is all that we have ever known. The only job that I have ever known is recycling, so my request is that if new opportunities are opening up, we should be considered among those who are in line to receive something when all is said and done.”
Mr Ncube said he was encouraged by what he had heard about Geo Pomona’s work in the capital, Harare.
“When I say Ngozi Mine is all that we have known, some people might take it for granted, but that is the reality for someone like me. My eldest child is now in Form Three, and next year she is supposed to be doing her O-Levels. For her to get to this level, I relied solely on money that I earned from this place. I had no other source of income,” he said.
“So, foremost on our minds is how we are going to make money after these changes.” His sentiments were echoed by Ms Thithibele Mpofu, another resident.
“So far, we have heard good things from people who have undergone a similar process in Harare. This gives us hope because what we want are jobs. That’s why we appealed to Government. We want the same things that those in other places have received, and the highest among those are jobs.
“We know that the Government will have our interests at heart, and that is why we are appealing to them,” she said.
Susan Chimanda (66), a Cowdray Park Section 10 representative, said residents had suffered for years because of the Ngozi Mine dumping site and welcomed the coming of Geo Pomona as a possible solution to the long-standing problem.
