Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve, [email protected]
THE City of Victoria Falls has significantly strengthened its waste management capacity after acquiring two new refuse trucks, a development expected to improve public health, service delivery and the overall ambience of the resort city.
The local authority took delivery of the vehicles this week and they are being branded ahead of deployment.
One of the trucks was procured using council’s internal resources, while the other was donated by African Sun Limited under its corporate social responsibility programme.
The council-funded vehicle is a single rear axle (single diff) refuse truck with a 15-cubic metre capacity, acquired at a cost of more than US$132 000.
Councillors and senior management inspected one of the trucks on Tuesday ahead of a full council meeting.
Victoria Falls Town Clerk Mr Ronnie Dube said the acquisition brings the city’s refuse truck fleet to four, a major boost for daily waste collection operations.
“The two trucks will go a long way in enhancing public health, cleanliness, the city’s ambience, smooth daily refuse collection runs and working conditions for our refuse collection teams,” said Mr Dube.
He said the purchase underscored the local authority’s commitment to efficient service delivery in line with Victoria Falls’ vision of becoming a smart and sustainable destination of choice by 2030.
“When we were signing performance contracts, one of our key deliverables was the acquisition of a refuse truck and it is already here. We are working,” said Mr Dube.
The additional trucks are expected to close service delivery gaps caused by frequent breakdowns of the city’s ageing fleet, ensuring that refuse collection schedules are consistently maintained. The single-diff configuration of the council-procured truck is particularly suited for navigating narrow residential streets, where on-street parking often restricts access for larger refuse vehicles.
Acting Mayor Councillor Lungile Nyoni welcomed the development, describing it as evidence of council’s commitment to reliable service delivery.
“This shows that council is working hard and is committed to ensuring reliable services for residents and the city at large,” said Clr Nyoni. As a Unesco-recognised Wetland City, Victoria Falls places a high priority on effective waste management as part of efforts to protect sensitive ecosystems, safeguard biodiversity and contribute to climate change mitigation in line with Sustainable Development Goal 13.
