By Gracious Nyathi
The Bulawayo City Council has introduced night shifts for refuse collection teams so as to reduce the proliferation of garbage which is illegally dumped.
The announcement was made by Bulawayo Town Clerk, Christopher Dube this week.
Dube said refuse in the CBD will be collected between 8pm and 6am.
“The City of Bulawayo will be commencing night time refuse collection in the Central Business District with effect from Monday, the 21st of November.
“Collection will be done from 8pm till 6am.”
“If refuse is not collected, residents are advised that it will be done on the next scheduled day and should not dump it,” he said.
This move follows a BCC meeting with stakeholders last week, to review the city’s Local Environmental Action Plan (Leap), in a bid to reduce pollution.
Dube added that property owners in the CBD are required to have refuse receptacles to avoid legal penalties.
“Refuse must be placed in plastics or bins and kept tidy while awaiting collection.
“Failure to do this will lead to prosecution of the property owner,” Dube added.
Furthermore, business owners who make their properties inaccessible for council refuse collectors, will have to dispose the litter at their own cost.
The latest move is a response to resident’s pleas over mounds of garbage in the CBD which makes the environment unpleasant in terms of smell and sight.