Story by Providence Maraneli
GWANDA Municipality has launched a new landfill site as part of broader efforts to attain city status by 2030, with improved waste management emerging as one of the key pillars of the town’s modernisation agenda.
The development marks the end of years of challenges associated with the old dumpsite, where residents and businesses frequently complained about smoke, flies and environmental pollution.
Municipal authorities have begun transferring waste to the new facility, signalling the start of a new chapter in the town’s waste management strategy.
Speaking to ZBC News, Gwanda Mayor Councillor Thulani Moyo said the local authority now has the infrastructure and equipment required to manage waste efficiently.
“We have started moving waste to the new landfill. We took long, but finally we have done it. We have the compactors, the yellow machines to deal with the water, and this will go a long way in making our town clean,” he said.
The commissioning of the landfill has been welcomed by residents, many of whom endured years of discomfort caused by smoke and infestations of flies from the old dumpsite.
“This is a relief to us. We were suffering. Imagine selling perishables in such an environment,” said one resident.
Another resident said the relocation of the dumpsite would improve living conditions in surrounding communities.
“We are happy that they are finally moving. The smoke made the area uninhabitable,” the resident said.
Local traders also highlighted the economic impact of the old dumpsite.
“We would incur losses because the clothes that we sell would be dirty from the smoke,” said a vendor.
Others pointed to the health concerns associated with the previous site.
“We were always having upset stomachs because of the flies,” another resident said.
The modern landfill, constructed at a cost of approximately US$500 000, forms part of wider infrastructure development projects underway in the mining town.
With new buildings emerging and key urban services being upgraded, Gwanda believes it is steadily positioning itself to achieve city status by 2030, in line with its long-term development vision.
