Council exposed over landfill lies

A report by the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) has exposed the Masvingo City Council's deception regarding the Cambria Farm landfill project. Despite claims that the old dumpsite in Runyararo West had been closed, the council continues to dispose of large amounts of garbage there, endangering the local community's health.

The ZHRC investigation, prompted by complaints from the Masvingo Residents Ratepayers Alliance (Murra) and former Ward 3 councillor Roki Kamuzonda, found that the council violated environmental rights and the right to administrative justice. The council was supposed to transition from the dumpsite to a landfill system in 2012 but has yet to complete the project over a decade later.

In a particularly egregious act, the council invited Vice President Kembo Mohadi to officially open the new landfill in June 2023, knowing it was not operational. Murra director Anoziva Muguti criticized the council's dishonesty, while Masvingo mayor Aleck Tabe attempted to justify the situation, citing waste accumulation and the need for compactors as reasons for the landfill's abandonment.

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has repeatedly urged the council to move away from the old dumpsite, but the council has failed to comply, leaving residents at risk. The ZHRC report condemns the Masvingo City Council's failure to fulfill its responsibilities to the community.