THE Lusaka City Council (LCC) in partnership with private waste management companies has enhanced the waste management systems to serve respective conventional and peri-urban areas in the city.
In order to implement an effective waste collection service in the conventional housing and commercial areas in Lusaka city, the Council has realigned its waste management districts (WMD) increasing the zones to 16 from the initial 12.
Lusaka City Council Assistant Public Relations Manager, Ms Brenda Katongola said this is in an effort to implement an effective waste collection service in the conventional housing and commercial areas based on the Strategic Municpal Solid Waste Management plan that the Council has embarked on.
“In all districts, with an exception of one, waste collection will continue to be out-sourced to the private waste management companies through franchise contracts,” Ms Katongola said.
She said the LCC is in the process of advertising the new WMD’s including those that are currently not being serviced.
A franchise contract provides a private waste collector with the sole right and obligation to collect and transport waste from all premises in a franchised Waste Management District to the dump site.
Ms. Katongola stateted that the franchise collector awarded with a franchise contract will be responsible for setting and collecting waste fees for the services provided. The fee is, however, subject to a ceiling set by the council.
The waste collector will determine the type of waste receptacles (bags, bins or containers), subject to approval by the Council.
She explained that the fees will vary depending on the residential areas; residents living in low-density areas, depending on the WMD they live in, the fee will vary, while those in the medium and high-density areas the fees are slightly lower.
“For each of the waste management districts, there are maximum waste collection fees; the maximum fees the waste management companies may charge have been negotiated on behalf of the community by the Lusaka City Council,” Ms. Katongola said.
The fees are included in the Franchise Contracts, although the Council would like to have one uniform fee for the entire city, market forces have led to minor differences between the waste management districts.
Recently, the Ministry of Local Government and Housing purchased refuse compactor trucks and other garbage collection equipment valued at close to K26 million to ease the challenges of waste management disposal faced by most councils in Zambia.
The ministry has also purchased 16 utility vans for 14 of the newly created districts valued at K2.8 million and office equipment that included 28 computers bought puchased at a cost of K281, 680.00, 14 fax leaserjet printers worth K248, 000.00 and 28 heavy duty printers at a cost of 48,000 for an estimated value of K3.4 million.
Local Government and Housing Minister, Emerine Kabanshi handed over eight refuse compactor trucks, four skip trucks, 172 skip bins and 20 cubic millimeter containers to 10 councils.
Of the 172 skip bins, 112 bins and the 20 cubic containers were purchased by the Lusaka City Council LCC at an estimated cost of K4.9 million from their own resources.
The Council has also purchased two compactor trucks, and is in the procurring a landfill compactor and a bull dozer for the landfill, two tractos for waste collection in conventional areas, two tipper trucks and one front-end loader. Tender procedures is already underway.
Additional information on the new waste management system can be obtained from respective waste collection companies or from the website of the waste management unit on www.wmulusaka.gov.zm or people can come in person to the Waste Management Unit (WMU) at the Civic Centre in Lusaka.
It is a start. Nonetheless, without enforcement mechanisms in place all this effort will be for nothing if LCC does not make sure the Private Waste Management Companies (PWMC) given franchise contracts are not cutting corners. Council management have to make sure PWMC are doing what is expected of them.
I am sure Lusaka residents will gladly pay high fees for this exercise if they know and actually see that their money is giving them clean surroundings in return. And it has to be Law that every household acquires garbage bins/bags for their refuse. Any one caught damping garbage on the street should be heavily fined.
Also, are the garbage collection trucks purchased by LCC going to be rented out to these PWMC? If not, the capacities of PWMC must critically be weighed!
The existing garbage collection system and the relationship between the councils and Ministry of Local Government needs a thorough overhaul. I will come back in a while with more on why I say so. Otherwise the current system is not helping matters. It’s actually contributing to piles of garbage and a dirty environment.
Those LCC fools should remember that their time is running out….
Go through Lumumba Rd…It’s hell there,
Garbage is everywhere…that’s a Road which is Used by these people who come from well organised nations such as South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and these Criminals from Congo…
Only if this Old filth Called SATAna is removed, then things can change for real..
Never wait to be lied twice in life….enough is enough…..batila mbwela ila lya….maybe if we are lucky death can do us apart….
Hats off to LCC! This is the way to go! I loathe going to Lusaka and other Zambian cities and large towns for one reason: the cities/towns are very filthy!!! It is not only the garbage which is left uncollected in un-gazetted areas, but also broken sewer lines spewing raw sewerage into the environment! It is nauseating!! Additionally, Zambians should learn to throw litter in designated places. Councils, provide garbage disposal facilities in your cities/towns. Also, provide decent fee paying public toilets in the cities/towns. It is disgusting to see citizens answer the call of nature onto shrubs, tree trunks, and the like!! Conduct massive campaigns to educate the populace about environmental cleanliness.
As Zambians, we are just too dirty in mind and behaviour. We like when our cities are dirty and we dont have time to clean them. It is not only the humbly educated people but even theso called educated. Look at how the smartly dressed educated fellow throws the banana peels on the cairo road while he/she is driving a posh car!!!! Thats life for Zambians…too dirty.
Peace and Prosperity to Mother Zambia.
LCC keep up th good work!!
I hope the new system it will work and dont forget us in the township and compound we are the people who are suffering more.
As a youth only aged 18. not only i recognize all the hard work that is been put into waste management a number of other Zambian youth. non the less as pre stated in other articles published by a number of active citizens. there is need for more innovative ways to manage waste in our nation before we are hit with an Armageddon of waste crisis. i would like to say talk i is cheap so i would like to share that small team of youth and i are working innovative ways to help #reuse reduce and recycle waste and manage it in Lusaka we hope to come up with a concluded and documented strategy in the next couple of weeks. in hopes that the LCC is in comfort to work with non profit organizations on this which we are though still been established # 3 dimensional youth like us on Facebook. *A…
Waste disposal management must be a done by every peace loving Zambian who puts health issues as priority number one