Online Reporter
Fungai Lupande-Mashonaland Central Bureau
TWENTY TWO people in Glendale, Mazowe District, were bitten by a stray dog in an incident that has heightened concerns over poor waste management and escalating public health risks in Mashonaland Central Province.
The dog, which reportedly terrorised residents before being put down, displayed aggressive behaviour consistent with rabies, according to Mazowe Environmental Health Officer, Mr Gideon Katsande.
All the victims are receiving medical attention.
Health officials have linked the attack to the growing presence of stray animals around open dump sites, where unregulated waste disposal is attracting dogs, jackals and other scavengers into residential areas.
Dump sites are blamed for rising health risks.
Speaking at a Provincial Clean Environment Symposium organised by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), Mr Katsande warned that illegal dumping and poorly managed landfill sites pose serious environmental and health dangers.
“Scavenger animals such as dogs, jackals and cats are drawn to these dump sites. With them come serious public health concerns. Rabies becomes very rampant in such areas.
“To us in public health, these dump sites bring more harm than good,” he said.
Mr Katsande also expressed concern over leachate seeping from dump sites and contaminating water sources, particularly in Glendale, where a dumpsite is located upstream of residential settlements.
“The leachate flows downstream towards communities. That contaminates water sources and exposes residents to serious health risks,” he said.
Landfill compliance gaps.
The Glendale incident has intensified calls for stronger waste management systems, improved recycling initiatives and safer waste disposal methods.
It emerged at the symposium that none of Mashonaland Central’s 10 local authorities operates a fully compliant landfill site, despite legislation prohibiting councils from functioning without one.
EMA provincial office said the local authority had previously drafted landfill plans, but implementation stalled due to financial constraints.
“The process is costly and requires a substantial budget, but efforts towards compliance will be recognised,” EMA said.
EMA described illegal dumpsites as an eyesore and blamed their proliferation on erratic refuse collection.
“No matter how frequent our clean-up campaigns are, if refuse is not collected regularly and disposed of at designated sites, our efforts will go to waste,” he said.
EMA urged councils to improve refuse collection schedules, address sewer bursts and strengthen environmental by-laws to enhance monitoring, compliance and revenue collection.
“We can only attain Vision 2030 in a clean environment. Without a healthy society, more resources are diverted towards medication instead of development,” EMA said.
Economic and community dimensions.
Director of Economic Affairs and Investment, Mr Levi Katambarare, said environmental cleanliness is central to public health and economic growth.
“Environmental cleanliness is not merely an aesthetic issue. It is a fundamental pillar of public health, economic growth and sustainable development,” he said.
He called on local authorities to enforce by-laws, strengthen waste collection systems and improve landfill management to curb illegal dumping.
EMA environmental officer, Mrs Erica Uzanda, highlighted the contribution of community-based organisations (CBOs) in reducing the volume of waste reaching dumpsites.
She said seven CBOs in Bindura are collecting up to 45 tonnes of recyclable waste per month, contributing to a provincial total of 74 tonnes.
“That is waste which would otherwise go to our dump sites. By supporting these initiatives, local authorities can reduce waste management costs and improve environmental health outcomes,” she said.
However, she noted that most recyclable waste collected in the province is transported to Harare for processing, underscoring the need for local investment in recycling infrastructure.
A wake-up call
Officials at the symposium stressed the need for stronger legislation, improved public awareness on proper waste disposal — including clearer manufacturer guidance on products such as disposable diapers — and coordinated action between local authorities, EMA and communities.
