THE Masvingo City Council’s Health Department has turned down the use of
tractors for refuse collection as it does not speak to Vision 2030.
The local authority has encountered problems of refuse collection as the fleet is
sometimes grounded. This year, the city fathers engaged the Central Mechanical
and Equipment Department (CMED) truck to collect garbage.
Following breakdowns of refuse trucks, the Health Department, during the year,
suggested that Council should have a standing arrangement with local transport
operators, wherein the operators would provide refuse collection services to
cover the gap created by breakdown of refuse compactors.
Meanwhile, the city fathers recently procured a refuse truck and the Health,
Housing and Environmental Services Committee urged council to boost the
refuse collection fleet.
According to the minutes of Health, Housing and Environmental Services
Committee, Suzanne Madamombe, the Chief Environmental Health Officer,
advised that the city was working towards the attainment of an industrialised
world-class metropolitan by 2030 and the use of tractors was not in line with
that vision.
“The report of the Chief Environmental Health Officer for the month of October
2022 covering a number of operational refuse trucks, refuse removal statistics,
refuse bins, pest control, activities of the Health Clubs, waste recycling and
collection was noted.
“The Committee appreciated the newly procured refuse truck and urged the
Town Clerk to continue augmenting the refuse collection fleet.
“On the proposal for Council to utilise tractors in refuse collection, the Chief
Environmental Health Officer advised that the use of tractors was not ideal and
would not move in line with the vision of the City, which is to become, ‘An
Industrialised World-Class Metropolitan by 2030’,” reads part of the minutes.
Meanwhile, Council had planned to move to the new dumpsite before the end of
this year but has however, reported that delays were mainly due to lack of
suitable equipment and machinery which suit the model of the landfill.
