Suburban
CITY of Harare waste collectors left garbage uncollected in most parts of Greendale on Monday the scheduled day for the supposed refuse collection blitz in the suburb only to be found two days later on Wednesday using a refuse truck to carry cut off tree branches at a property in the area.
Suburban Reporter
Residents were startled to find the refuse truck parked at a property along Rossal Road and five waste collectors busy loading the tree branches into the refuse compactor.
“Rossal Road right now. Using our residents rubbish truck to load organic waste. This is a private job. They are not collecting our rubbish but they can do this? Surely this is not the right use of these community resources,” complained a bitter resident on the Greendale residents group.
Another resident confirmed coming across the refuse truck saying: “I saw this just now.”
The resident who first raised the issue said the move was disturbing coming at a time the municipality’s waste management strategy has totally failed forcing residents to dump rubbish in open spaces.
“With five guys loading branches into the back! Meanwhile our rubbish goes uncollected, and ends up in public spaces like Trinity Square. It’s totally unacceptable,” she said.
Residents sought to find out whose house was it where a whole refuse truck is summoned or deployed to collect tree branches, supposedly for use as firewood, at the expense of its designated use of collecting household garbage.
“I actually drove past that just now and wondered whose house that was,” said another resident.
“What’s the address? Shouldn’t the resident be quizzed?” a suggestion was made.
The residents were told the property was at the corner of Rossal Road and Court Road.
A woman living at the property in question then approached the resident who made the report on the Greendale residents’ group.
“It has escalated a bit. The woman living at the house in question accosted me. We are now with the police,” she said.
Residents commended her effort describing it as amazing and requested her to keep them posted about the matter.
She then informed fellow residents moments later that; “I am at the police station giving a statement.”
Some residents were surprised that the people at the property in question could have the police coming to their place without having to go and pick them up.
“Someone who can get the police there without having to bring them. Someone who can use our rubbish trucks as if they are theirs,” observed a resident.
Residents were told that the refuse truck had been spotted a number of times before.
“It’s been going on for a few weeks.”
The ineffectiveness of the City of Harare’s refuse collection blitz was on display again on Monday this week when several Greendale residents reported that their garbage was not collected.
According to the residents, most of them did not have their garbage collected either because the refuse collection truck came speeding past their streets leaving their garbage or they did not get to see the trucks at all.
A resident form Fallon Avenue alerted fellow Greendale residents on Monday that the refuse collection truck was in the area but most residents missed the waste collectors.
“Bin (refuse) collection. Moving along Fallon right now,” the resident posted on the Greendale residents’ group.
Fellow residents said the refuse truck was speeding and the driver showed no intention of slowing down despite whistling and waving to draw his attention.
“Refuse truck just came sailing past I and others whistled and did not even slow down,” said a resident.
Residents bemoaned the fact the so-called refuse blitz was not serving its purpose while council was also wasting time and fuel.
“Refuse truck just also sailed past, most (residents) did not even know they had come. After all it’s all about time and chance like most things. No time table warnings are given even if given never kept. Petrol or diesel and precious time always wasted. No one really cares as long as they get paid. We are living in such times!” observed a resident.
Some residents said it had been five weeks since they last had their garbage collected.
“Dulwich Court. No collection five weeks now. I was assured that it would be collected today, been in contact with person in charge this morning. Now not answering phone,” said a resident from Dulwich Court.
One lucky resident then provided the phone number of the refuse truck driver saying: “Our refuse just collected. Had spoken to him on the phone so we had a lot of our bags outside before they arrived thank goodness.”
