ECC Champion

The City of Masvingo, which has begun the process of migrating from a dumpsite to a more environmentally friendly landfill, has said the first cell at the new landfill will be operational from May this year after missing the November 2021 target.

The old dumpsite, which is now surrounded by residential areas is now past due decommissioning and the council is racing against time to move to a landfill which is being constructed at Cambria farm.

Residents have been complaining over pollution and the environmental damage being caused by the dumpsite which moved the city fathers to act.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has since ordered all local authorities to adopt proper waste management solutions which are environmentally friendly.

Speaking to EnviroPress over the phone, City of Masvingo Town Clerk Edward Mukaratirwa said the new landfill will be operational by May.

“We have faced a number of challenges in completing the landfill within the stipulated timeframe but work is still going on and we hope to complete the first cell by May.

“The first cell is enough to migrate from the dumpsite which is affecting people and the environment,” said Mukaratirwa.

Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Alliance (Murra) spokesperson Godfrey Mtimba said the city fathers should expedite the landfill saying residents and the environment have suffered enough.

“We have said the city council must adopt smart waste management solutions and they said they were constructing a landfill.

“They gave us a November last year timeline but they have shifted goal posts to May this year. They need not drag their feet because this is a very crucial matter for our people and the environment.

“The old dumpsite is causing a lot of pollution into the atmosphere as well as underground water,” said Mtimba.

This report was made possible through support from WAN-IFRA Media Freedom’s Strengthening African Media Programme: Climate Change and Environmental Reporting. Views expressed here do not belong to WAN-IFRA