The mayor of Bulawayo, David Coltart, has disclosed that the city council requires $38,000 to ensure all their garbage collection trucks are operational.
At the Bulawayo Economic Development Conference held yesterday, Coltart stated that the city must get its vehicle fleet up to standard.
"I recently received a report from our cleaning department stating that we require $38,000 to ensure all of our waste collection trucks are operational," Coltart mentioned.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the stark truth of our current situation.
We allocate $18,000 for this conference, yet our city has uncleared trash lying around.
He stated that the council needed to alter its priorities.
"And all we need to get all our compactors operational is $38,000," he stated.
“This clearly indicates where our priorities stand. That needs to shift.”
“Our priorities have to change and note that I’m not demeaning this conference.”
Last week, council commissioned refuse compactor trucks worth US$602 400 in a bid to improve waste collection and maintain a clean environment.
Council officials said Bulawayo requires 17 additional refuse trucks at an estimated cost of US$2,56 million.
Beyond cleanliness, the city is also working to streamline its bureaucratic processes to attract investors.
"If we lack a clean and well-managed city, we won't be able to draw the necessary investments to reach our objectives," he stated.
The city has been struggling against illegal dumping, refuse that remains uncollected, leading to waste accumulating in densely populated regions, thereby exacerbating the deterioration of the urban environment.
