Anesushe Mamhute

Chiredzi Town Council is making some efforts to clean up the environment following negative media reports focusing on the local authority’s apparent neglect of the matter.

Residents have in recent days castigated the council for not putting its priorities right, and for turning a blind eye to uncollected garbage and disintegrating public toilets.

Council has since put a skip bin (pictured) at the notoriously dirty Banana Market which is often characterised by decaying rubbish and other unsanitary conditions.

Chiredzi Council Chairperson Jameson Charumbira told EnviroPress that authorities were not unconcerned with issues raised by residents and the media.

“We have since resolved the issue of piling rubbish by providing a skip bin at the Banana Market. The bin will be monitored to avoid delays in collections,” said Charumbira.

He said council was moving to other vegetable markets including flea markets as part of the efforts to keep all public places pollution-free in order to reduce risk to public health.

Some residents in Ward 3 said they were now optimistic that cleanliness of public places will improve.

“I welcome every move taken to make the markets and other public spaces cleaner but it must not end with the skip bin alone. More council funds must be channelled to improving public toilets and the environment,” said Bernard Dube, a resident of the ward.

Other residents said they were pleased with moves by the council to privatise operations of public toilets at the markets and at bus termini.

“If the toilets are run privately, they will be cleaner because users will be required to pay per use. It is better to pay for a functional service than to have a free service which is dysfunctional,” said Benjamin Mazivisa, a foreman with prominent bus operator Inter Africa.