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Loveness Bepete Chronicle Reporter
BULAWAYO City Council is failing to cope with refuse collection due to a shortage of vehicles, forcing residents to resort to dumping litter.
According to the latest council minutes, the local authority was operating with only five reliable refuse vehicles instead of at least 25.The director of Health Services, Dr Zanele Hwalima, said unreliable vehicles sometimes force council workers to start work late.

She said the weekly refuse collection schedule in the low density suburbs and fortnightly in high density areas had continued but a shortage of vehicles hindered the smooth collection as some tasks started late and ended up not being completed on the collection day.

Dr Hwalima said the situation started worsening last year after the municipality terminated a refuse collection contract with Waste Management Services.

“It will be recalled that council had contracted refuse collection services to Waste Management Services between March 2012 and September 2013. When council terminated this contract and took over the service, there were no additional vehicles acquired to cover the gap which was left by the contractor moving out with his vehicles,” she said.

“The Health Services Department had to stretch the few, unfortunately unreliable vehicles to cover the whole city and as a result the department struggled to complete tasks and community group sweepings went uncollected for long periods and some residents ended up resorting to dumping.”

Dr Hwalima said with the expansion of the city over the years, the situation can only come back to normal with at least 25 reliable refuse removal vehicles in place.