Council, Zesa animosity continues

THE Bulawayo City Council has rejected an application by Zesa Holdings to be exempted from paying dumping fees at a landfill, site.

According to the latest council minutes, Zesa on behalf of the Bulawayo Power Station, wrote a letter to council asking for exemption, jg

"We would like to apply for exemption from paying dumping fees at your landfill or be given a special tariff," reads part of the letter.

"We have been dumping the bottom coal ash for free for all these years and council has been using the ash to cover the garbage."

Zesa indicated that about three weeks back it was denied entry at the dump site and was advised to pay for dumping.

"The fees charged seem to be on the high side for our operations," Zesa said.

"Our operations generate about 10 loads of ash per day and this will translate to about $l 000 a day. Therefore at the end of the month this would translate to $30 000."

But the local authority dismissed the application.

"Exempting or giving a special tariff to Zesa might set an undesirable precedence as other companies might also make similar requests," reads part of the council report.

"Zesa is a fully fledged business which is generating huge amounts of waste material as indicated above and must pay for its disposal like any other organisation."

The local authority said land-fill management had to comply with international standards and in particular the Environmental Management Agency requirements, which made it a costly exercise.

"The refuse dumping at the landfill operates at full cost recovery and to do this, the tariff charge had been calculated at $8 per cubic metre of refuse," council said.