News / Local
Health crisis looms in Harare
07 May 2017 at 23:31hrs | Views
A health time-bomb is looming in Harare as the city council is has reportedly stopped collecting garbage from most residential areas due to a severe shortage of refuse collection vehicles, NewsDay reported.
.In January, the local authority had to battle a typhoid outbreak with over 400 cases that led to at least two deaths.
As of Friday, the local authority had 15 refuse collection vehicles on the road with 32 others grounded.
Mayor, Bernard Manyenyeni confirmed the crisis.
"For a year now, we have been operating with 22 trucks and maybe the figure has gone down in the past weeks.
"We should have 46 trucks running so that each ward has a service truck, but because most of them are down, we are now forced to use the few available," he said.
"We are in the process of acquiring 20 trucks so that we can be up and about. We have been given the greenlight to borrow for the procurement of the trucks and the tender has since been awarded. What is left is just some formalities," he said.
Government last month approved council's request to borrow $29 million for procurement of service vehicles after Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere and his Finance counterpart, Patrick Chinamasa, gave the nod to the deal.
The current fleet of refuse vehicles was acquired in 2010 after council secured a $23 million loan from a local financier.
Besides refuse trucks, council also requires skip bins to improve its waste management system.
.In January, the local authority had to battle a typhoid outbreak with over 400 cases that led to at least two deaths.
As of Friday, the local authority had 15 refuse collection vehicles on the road with 32 others grounded.
Mayor, Bernard Manyenyeni confirmed the crisis.
"For a year now, we have been operating with 22 trucks and maybe the figure has gone down in the past weeks.
"We should have 46 trucks running so that each ward has a service truck, but because most of them are down, we are now forced to use the few available," he said.
"We are in the process of acquiring 20 trucks so that we can be up and about. We have been given the greenlight to borrow for the procurement of the trucks and the tender has since been awarded. What is left is just some formalities," he said.
Government last month approved council's request to borrow $29 million for procurement of service vehicles after Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere and his Finance counterpart, Patrick Chinamasa, gave the nod to the deal.
The current fleet of refuse vehicles was acquired in 2010 after council secured a $23 million loan from a local financier.
Besides refuse trucks, council also requires skip bins to improve its waste management system.
Source - NewsDay
