By Michael Gwarisa
Riding on the existing Emergency Solid Waste Management Program, guided by Statutory Instrument 140 of 2023, following the declaration of a state of disaster in Harare Metropolitan province, the Zimbabwean government is implementing a raft of measures through Operation Chenesa Harare (Clean Harare), an ambitious waste management program targeting to clear all solid waste within a week.
The collected waste will be taken to Pomona Dump Site in Harare in a move the government believes will address the drivers of Cholera and other diarrhoeal diseases in Harare. This comes amid a Cholera outbreak in the capital city that has resulted in cases shooting through the roof post-festive season period due to increased mobility and flooding.
Briefing Journalists in Harare this morning, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Jenfan Muswere said the City of Harare had failed to deliver services as well as arrest the Cholera crises, hence the move by central government to assume this leading role.
The operation Chenesa Harare seeks to ensure that we have got sustainable clean cities through Central Government interventions so that we can be in a position to deal with the Cholera challenge that we are currently having in Harare Metropolitan Province,” said Minister Muswere.
“This has been necessitated by the challenges or by the failure or leadership deficit from the City of Harare as a council which has failed to be in a position to provide the requisite water infrastructure and health services across Harare Metropolitan Province.”
Most suburbs in Harare including the Central Business District (CND) have gone for several months without waste being collected and this has resulted in tonnes of garbage piling in backwards, sidewalks and other undesignated dumping sites.
Even though Cholera has been reported across 55 districts in the country, Harare remains the hardest-hit Metropolitan province with data showing that a total of 5 841 cumulative suspected cases have been recorded to date, while 45 deaths have been recorded.
Health and Child Care Minister, Dr Douglass Mombeshora said government has mobilised resources from its own coffers and private sector to ensure the clean-up happens smoothly.
“We have given ourselves one week running from January 5 to January 12 2024 to make sure all garbage in Harare is collected. This operation has been necessitated by increased cases of Cholera that we are now witnessing in Harare. The operation is meant to address the poor hygiene conditions prevailing in the City of Harare,” said Dr Mombeshora.
He added there was nothing sinister about the government intervening when city authorities failed to deliver as is the case with the City of Harare. He also said they have already moved about 65 tonnes of garbage using dump truck and the total tonnage that was moved with all other equipment is slightly over 122 tonnes and all the garbage is being taken to Pomona dumpsite.
“The government must intervene wherever they see things are not moving properly. Harare City Council is failing to collect garbage, Harare City Council is failing to provide portable water and it is failing to have a proper sewer reticulation system being operational. The first intervention has been necessitated at the level of removing solid waste.”
Meanwhile, the Department of Civil Protection has mobilised 13 Tipper Trucks, 14 Refuse Compactors from the City of Harare, and Two Refuse Compactors from the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and two from private players. Six Front End Loaders, One back-hole and 16 Refuse Compactors and these are already in Harare and started operating on January 5.
The Chenesa Harare program has come up with five priority regions that the mega clean-up will target and these include Region 1 which covers the Central Business District, Mbare, Sunningdale, Waterfalls and Highfields and eight trucks have already been allocated. Region 2 covers Harare South i.e Southlea Park, Hopley, Ushewokunze and Eye Court . Region 3 covers Highfield, Southerton, Glen Norah, Glenview, Churu Farm, Budiriro and Mufakose and 14 trucks are operating in that area. Region 4 Covers Dzivarasekwa, Warren Park, Kambuzuma, Kuwadzana, Mabelreign, Malbrough and Mt Pleasant. Region 5 comprises of Borrowdale, Hatcliff, Greendale, Mabvuku, Tafara and Highlands.
