Bulawayo, (New Ziana) — Residents living near Richmond Landfill, popularly known as Ngozi Mine, have petitioned the government to urgently close or relocate the dumpsite, saying it poses a serious health and environmental hazard.
The petition comes soon afterLocal Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe met stakeholders and directed the Bulawayo City Council to urgently find a solution to the issue of the dumpsite.
Garwe said the landfill had become a matter of national concern and that decisive action was needed to protect residents and restore the city environment, he adding President Emmerson Mnangagwa had sent him to ensure that immediate solutions were found.
“We came here with clear instructions from my principal that the Ngozi Mine situation is now of great concern to the President, and solutions must be provided now,” he said then.
He said the site was polluting the air and posing serious health risks, adding that the matter should not be prolonged by extended consultations and feasibility studies.
In their petition, residents and community leaders said the landfill was too close to homes, schools and churches, citing pollution, contaminated water, unbearable smells and flies, as well as respiratory illnesses and skin diseases.
“The site is causing severe pollution, contaminated water, unbearable smells, flies and serious health problems related to respiratory illnesses and skin diseases,” the petition reads.
The residents said the health and safety of children, elderly people, livestock and pets were at risk, also arguing that the location of the site had been chosen without consultation and was affecting property values as well as the right to a clean environment.
They called for the dumpsite to be moved to a location far from residential areas and for the government to provide free tuberculosis and respiratory disease testing for local residents.
Residents of Cowdray Park, Emakhandeni and Luveve have reported difficulty breathing when smoke drifts into their neighbourhoods, with children and elderly people particularly affected, while some families temporarily move relatives with respiratory problems to other suburbs when the smoke becomes severe.
The landfill is also linked to the livelihoods of an estimated 1 500 people with many building t makeshift shelters near the site so they can collect recyclable materials from the refuse and sell them to buyers who come to the landfill.
Richmond Landfill was commissioned in 1994 as Bulawayo’s 12th refuse-disposal site.
Before its opening, the city used several other disposal sites, including the area now occupied by Sobukazi School grounds between 1963 and 1970, and later Hyde Park near Pelandaba Cemetery.
The landfill was initially expected to operate for about 20 years, but has continued beyond that lifespan, according to the city council.
A lack of funding and equipment has hampered the council’s ability to manage the site, contributing to recurring fires, smoke, fly infestations and methane emissions.
Effective landfill management requires waste to be confined in lined cells, compacted and covered, with the measures assisting in reducing fires, control methane emissions and limit access by flies and vermin.
Residents said they welcomed the government’s direction for Bulawayo City Council (BCC) to engage Geo Pomona Waste Management over the landfill’s problems.
New Ziana
