Vendors demand council shuts down dumping site

GWERU vendors have demanded that council shuts down a transit dumping site at Kudzanayi bus terminus saying they feared an imminent health hazard.

The vendors who spoke to Newzimbabwe said the uncollected garbage at the terminus has become a health and environment sore and accused city fathers of failing to act on the problem.

"We have heaps of decomposing garbage that smell badly yet we come here every day because this is our workplace," said Eta Moyo, a vendor at kudzanayi.

"We inhale bad air on a daily basis and this is just unhealthy."

Another vendor, Billy Huruyadzo who sells tomatoes near the dumping site said the municipality should ban the dumping of garbage at the site.

Huruyadzo said council should re–introduce huge garbage containers that can later be hooked by refuse trucks.

Angeline Moyo, a food vendor said her business was being affected by the heaps of uncollected refuse as customers were avoiding buying food from her fearing disease outbreaks.

"I sell sadza at the bus terminus but the stench from the decomposing garbage has made customers shun my place because they fear an outbreak of diseases such as cholera," she said.

Council usually clears garbage at the terminus twice a week leaving the other five days of uncollected heaps of refuse.

Contacted for comment, mayor Hamutendi Kombayi said council was doing its best to make sure that the issue of waste was addressed for the health of residents.

"We face financial challenges like any other municipality in the country but we will do our best to timeously collect refuse," Kombayi said.

"But the same vendors who are crying should also play their part by placing waste in bins at the terminus and avoid the habit of always dumping on the ground even when the provided (bins) are not full."