Former Donnybrook Primary School students in Mabvuku have registered their concern with Harare City Council over non collection of refuse that has seen establishment of an illegal dumpsite near the school which has become a health hazard to school children.
According to the correspondence sent to the Mabvuku District Office the dumpsite is now encroaching into the school premises due to the failure by the local authority to empty a skip bin located near the school.
‘It is our sincere hope that you attend to this critical issue with the urgency it deserves, as the onset of the rains will increase the risk of the dumpsite becoming a breeding hub for various water borne diseases’ reads part of the correspondence.
The former students highlighted that “school children are entitled to a clean environment” as provided in the Constitution.
The failure by the City of Harare to collect refuse came at a time when the local authority received a wrong consignment of single skip trucks instead of double skip trucks.
In 2017, Harare City Council purchased 15 refuse trucks (compactors) at FAW Zimbabwe trading as Massbreed Investments in Msasa but until now the trucks have not been delivered.
Currently the City has 13 refuse trucks to cover all the 46 Wards of Harare which are insufficient to provide adequate refuse collection services, a situation that has seen the emergence of illegal dumpsites across the city.
CHRA calls upon the City Council to claim the difference in value of wrongly supplied single skip trucks from the double skip trucks that were supposed to be delivered and take tangible action in claiming the 15 refuse trucks that were purchased but not delivered by Massbreed Investments.
Source: Combined Harare Residents Association
