Suburban
THE refuse collection agreement between the Borrowdale Ratepayers and Residents Association (BBRA) and the City of Harare (CoH) is progressing well despite a few hitches that had earlier threatened to derail the agreement.
Peter Tanyanyiwa Suburban Reporter
Under the Memorandum of Understanding, the BRRA has repaired one refuse collection which is dedicated to collecting rubbish in Ward 18 suburbs including Borrowdale.
Recently, BRRA officials toured the Borrowdale District Office workshop together with council officials in an effort to assess the ability of the facility to house the refuse compactors for overnight parking and routine maintenance.
BRRA officials said this was a cost cutting measure to be reviewed on an ongoing basis.
The officials said they were happy to see their MOU with the CoH progressing steadily.
The residents’ association said that they are working as a team with council and having regular meetings and communication, which is feeding into an effective operation serving its purpose for the benefit of Ward 18 residents.
The BRRA officials toured the workshop facilities at Borrowdale District Office together with Councillor Ian Makone, senior staff from the waste department and the Borrowdale district officer.
BRRA chairperson Mr Robert Mutyasira revealed the resolutions of the workshop tour and said that they have not reached the pinnacle of their objectives as yet but indications towards total impact were there. “There are still a number of irregularities which we would all want to iron out but it is a process we all seem to be dedicated to see through.
The waste department’s responsiveness has been tremendous.
Our goal is that the trucks and crew begin duty from Borrowdale and do not necessarily have to drive back to the Graniteside yard.
This will obviously cut on dead mileage and ultimately on operational costs.
“We proposed that repairs and maintenance be done at the workshops provided some of the necessary implements and tools are restored.
Most of the workshop machinery is either redundant, obsolete or dysfunctional. The infrastructure too needs some sprucing. Water storage tanks will have to be installed as the compactors have to be jet washed daily after their runs.
“The crew are also required to clean themselves up before leaving the facility after duty,” he said.
“We are definitely looking into investing more should the local authority allow us to and there is no prejudice to either party. It was revealed to us during the tour that accommodation at the district offices that was previously reserved for emergency personnel serving our district overnight, is now permanent residence for council staff whose duties do not benefit our district.
“We asked the Councillor Ian Makone to look into the matter as it is of greater benefit and convenience to accommodate the refuse collection crew,” he said.
BRRA and COH are now looking closely at the possibility of accommodating the waste collectors at the district office.
“Residents need to understand that all these arrangements we are making with City of Harare are towards decentralisation of services in order for us to take control of our facilities and services.
Devolution will not be handed to residents wholesome but it is a process characterised by these developments we are working on every now and again,” said Mr Mutyasira.
BRRA urged residents to follow closely and support these initiatives as they are the ultimate solution to the service delivery woes they are currently experiencing.
