Coltart demands urgent action on Ngozi Mine crisis

Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart has sounded a grave warning over the deteriorating conditions at Ngozi Mine, the city's largest landfill site, describing the health and environmental hazards it poses as a "matter of life and death" for nearby residents.

Speaking during a full council meeting earlier this month, Coltart said the scale of pollution at the site had reached alarming levels, citing dense toxic fumes and poor waste separation as immediate threats to public health.

“Councillors will recall that I posted an aerial photograph of Ngozi Mine showing the extent of the fumes, and I was utterly appalled. This is a matter of life and death. We do not fully appreciate the health consequences for people living downwind of those toxic fumes. It is a matter of exceptional urgency,” said Coltart.

The mayor urged the city to shift its approach to the landfill from a problem-oriented mindset to one focused on opportunity and innovation. Drawing inspiration from international models, Coltart proposed transforming Ngozi Mine into a regional waste management and recycling hub.

“We need to move past seeing Ngozi Mine as a problem and start seeing it as an opportunity. Sweden imports plastic waste from Germany and Denmark for profitable recycling. If they can do that, why can't we?” he asked.

Coltart emphasized the strategic location of Ngozi Mine, situated just under two kilometres from the Victoria Falls railway line, which connects Bulawayo to major cities across Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana. He said this positioning could enable the city to collect and process plastic waste from multiple urban centres across the region.

“Experts have advised that a major waste processing facility here could benefit the entire region in three ways: turning plastic into aggregates for road construction, producing construction materials like water tanks, and generating energy from non-recyclable waste,” he said.

The mayor further proposed the establishment of a biogas plant to process gaseous emissions from the landfill, potentially in partnership with private sector entities such as Azel B.

He also criticised the current mismanagement of organic waste, which is dumped together with plastics and other non-biodegradable materials. With proper separation, he said, organic waste could be repurposed into compost or manure, generating income and employment opportunities for communities living near the site.

“Right now, organic and non-organic waste are mixed, but if separated, the organic portion could produce vast amounts of manure and compost, creating both products and jobs,” he noted.

Coltart urged the council to prioritise the Ngozi Mine crisis on par with other major services like water supply, warning that failure to act could lead to devastating consequences.

“We must adopt international best practices. This must be treated with the same urgency as water supply, an absolute priority. If nothing is done and people start dying, we will be held accountable,” he said.

The mayor concluded by reiterating that with proper planning and investment, waste management can become a profitable and sustainable sector for the city.

“Waste management facilities can be profitable ventures, but this situation cannot be allowed to continue unchecked. It requires urgent, decisive action,” Coltart said.