Story by Fairstars Mukungurutse
THE successful implementation of Operation Chenesa Harare phases one and two has resulted in the government extending the programme to phase three as the move to restore sanity in the capital gains momentum.
Officially launching Operation Chenesa Harare Phase 3 at Tichagarika Shopping Centre in Glen View this Monday, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Honourable Daniel Garwe, accompanied by other ministers highlighted the importance of public-private partnerships in addressing the solid waste crisis.
He said, “The upcoming phase is coming at an opportune time to address the deplorable state of solid waste management in our city, particularly during this rainfall season which is normally associated with diarrhoeal diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery among others. The government appreciates the support rendered by the private sector during the previous phases of Operation Chenesa Harare. It is pleasing to note that through concerted efforts from various stakeholders, the operation managed to surpass targets of solid waste deposited at Pomona Landfill.”
Harare Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Senator Charles Tavengwa said, “We are grateful to the government for the third phase of operation Chenesa Harare in Glen View. Harare is the face of the nation and in order to attract investment, the environment must be conducive because no investor wants to come into a dirty place. We are happy Geo Pomona Waste Management is also involved in this edition, they are critical partners towards ensuring waste collection and management is a success.”
Failure by the Harare City Council to provide a lasting solution to the waste management crisis saw the government granting Geo Pomona Waste Management Company the mandate to collect solid waste in residential areas.
“As you are aware, last year we signed a contract with the local government for waste collection. As Geo Pomona, we are ready to do the waste collection, but it’s a process to take over from the City of Harare. The process cannot be done overnight. It’s a process we need to do a handover of all the equipment and the sites. As Geo Pomona, we are committed to supporting this Chenesa Harare phase 3 by providing our trucks, by waiving the dumping fees, the bill will go to the City of Harare,” Geo Pomona Waste Management Company’s chief executive officer and executive chairperson, Dr Delish Nguwaya said.
Mayor of Harare, Councillor Jacob Mafume underscored the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach towards improving waste management.
“We are working together with the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Geo Pomona Waste Management, and the City of Harare to remove the waste from the localities to the Pomona dump site which is what the design was supposed to be in the first place. We are now happy with the way it is now because waste management is a collective national issue. We hope that this model is something which we can sustain and replicate across the country,” he said.
Harare City Council is struggling to effectively collect and manage solid waste, hence the government’s intervention.
