Bulawayo's 5th Avenue Market buried under trash

Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has raised the alarm over the growing accumulation of garbage at the 5th Avenue market in the city centre, warning that illegal night vending activities are hampering waste management efforts and posing serious public health risks.

The council said the market, which operates with limited refuse bins and inadequate sanitation facilities, has become heavily congested, forcing vendors to dispose of waste indiscriminately and turning the area into a potential disease hotspot.

Dr Edwin Sibanda Mzingwane, BCC's director of health services, said the council is increasingly overwhelmed by solid waste challenges at the site. "Whenever we clean the place, vendors dump piles of garbage immediately after, which makes it difficult for our efforts to yield lasting results. Within three days of cleaning and collecting refuse, garbage is already piling up again, largely due to littering that occurs at night and sometimes during the day," he said.

The situation has been exacerbated by unregulated vending, particularly at night, when council enforcement teams are thinly stretched. Dr Sibanda Mzingwane noted that the market operates with limited sanitary infrastructure, raising the risk of disease outbreaks.

"If these unregulated activities continue, we risk disease outbreaks, especially considering that there are no proper ablution and sanitation facilities in the area," he said. The council also expressed concern over food safety, noting that vendors often handle food under unhygienic conditions without access to proper hand-washing facilities.

The lack of toilets has led some people to relieve themselves in nearby sanitary lanes, further contaminating the environment and worsening the health hazard.

Dr Sibanda Mzingwane said the council is working on relocating vendors from the 5th Avenue market to designated, properly serviced vending sites across the city. "We currently have only one sanitary facility along 5th Avenue, which is clearly inadequate to cater for the large number of vendors operating there. Relocating them to identified, properly serviced vending sites is the most viable solution to prevent disease outbreaks and curb heavy littering," he said.

While acknowledging that vending is a key source of income for many residents, Dr Sibanda Mzingwane stressed that orderly, regulated, and hygienic trading environments are essential to protect public health and maintain cleanliness in the city.

BCC has in recent years struggled with illegal vending and waste management challenges in the central business district, particularly at busy trading points such as 5th Avenue, where scores of vendors converge daily in search of livelihoods.