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Municipal Reporter

Harare has three new garbage trucks with seven more expected soon as the city council spends Government’s devolution funds on upgrading services.

Chitungwiza is following the lead taking delivery of two trucks recently.

Harare City Council has been battling to collect garbage due to serious shortage of the critical refuse trucks leading to illegal dumpsites across the city. The correct trucks, known as compactors, can take large high-volume and low-mass loads with the garbage compacted in the truck so that a lot more can fit.

“We have received the first batch of devolution funded capital equipment that is earmarked towards service delivery. Three refuse compactors have been delivered. An additional seven compactors and 10 tipper trucks are on the way. We expect the fleet to grow to 25 by the end of June into early July,” he said.

Resident Tatenda Nyadenga urged the council to take good care of the refuse trucks.

“I hope they are maintained well because once the compactor blades start having problems you start moaning about spare parts on something which can be easily maintained as a way to get new machines again.”

Barney Mpariwa said: “You must maintain those vehicles and not vandalise them please.”

A recent visit at Harare City Council’s department of works revealed that it has been paralysed as the city was operating without essential heavy equipment machines.

The city had no dozer out of the two required, zero out of the 24 large 15 cubic metre tipper trucks required while just eight of the 61 refuse collection trucks were working. The city only had one out of the two required skid steer loaders and has two out of six front end loaders.

The appalling situation at the department of works has contributed to serious decline in service delivery with council failing to collect refuse leading to sprouting illegal dumpsites across the entire city.