Livingstone City Council steps up clearing garbage in communities

Mr Sikanyika said the solid waste department under the council was working round the clock in ensuring that the tourist capital maintained its status as a cleanest city in the country.

In an interview yesterday Mr Sikanyika said that the operations of the local authority had been boosted with the acquisition of three tipper trucks, tractor and a tractor back haul loader.

“You know that garbage is an ongoing problem because people generate it every day, so we have to ensure that we are collecting garbage every day and I can boast that we have a very hard working solid management team and we believe that we are on top of things. If you have been to Maramba, actually there is an area where garbage had mounted for over five years and people thought it was surmountable but we have moved in there and we have swept the whole area clean.

“The council has been boosted with the acquisition of more trucks, now we have three dependable tipper trucks, a tractor, tractor back haul loader, all these equipment are making it easier for us to carry out our work as a local authority in order to clear out all the garbage, ”Mr Sikanyika said.

He warned members of the public against dumping garbage in areas that were not designated by the local authority.

“We want to take this opportunity to also warn members of the public to stop dumping garbage anyhow, there are designated areas where garbage should be disposed off so that it is easier for our people to carry out their works,” he said.

Mr Sikanyika disclosed that the council had engaged six companies to help collect garbage in selected townships of Livingstone at a small fee.

“We have a franchise arrangement ,were we have contracted about six companies that are collecting garbage on our behalf in different zones across Livingstone and people must be able to pay the people collecting garbage so that the service is effective. The issue of collecting garbage is everyone’s issue and it’s just fair enough for people to contribute a little towards the service at a fee that is minimal,” he said.

Meanwhile the local authority warned traditional healers with a tendency of putting advertising posters in the central business district of Livingstone to desist from the practice or risk being penalised.