Cabinet has approved the proposed privatization of Harare’s waste management services in response to a comprehensive update presented by Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Honourable D. Garwe, during this week’s post-cabinet briefing.
According to the second and third schedules of the Urban Councils Act, Harare City Council is required to remove and treat effluent, refuse, and human waste within its jurisdiction; however, the municipality has struggled to implement adequate waste management systems, resulting in widespread illegal dumpsites and uncollected garbage, despite Harare City Council levying and collecting rates for the purpose of waste management and having adequate legislative provisions.
The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works is now leading efforts to build functional waste collection and management systems, corporations, and organisations. This privatisation initiative promises to bring efficiency and competence to the waste management sector, addressing the city’s long-standing sanitation issues.
“The failure is evidenced by the existence of heaps of uncollected garbage and mushrooming illegal dumpsites all over the city. The Harare City Council has also formally requested that the Central Government take over the collection of solid waste management, citing the local authority’s inability to perform the mandate as expected. The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works is now working on putting in place functional systems, companies and institutions to collect refuse, ” Garwe said.
The breakthrough is intended to provide relief to Harare households and companies who have suffered the consequences of poor trash management for far too long. Harare’s waste management future appears bright as the city transitions to a more sustainable and private sector-driven approach.
