Bulawayo’s open defecation nightmare

Gibson Mhaka
CITY of Bulawayo Councillors have expressed concern over the increasing practice of open defecation by vendors in the central business district (CBD), particularly along 5th Avenue fearing that this practice could lead to a cholera outbreak in the city and also contaminate vegetables that will be sold to residents.
According to the latest council minutes, Ward 3 Councillor Mxolisi Mahlangu said the situation is particularly alarming as the rainy season has begun.

“Councillor M Mahlangu concurred with Councillor M T Moyo (Ward 22 Cllr Mmeli Thobeka Moyo) and stated that there was a correlation between lack of enforcement and failure to clean the city.
“He stated that the issue of cleanliness had a correlation with congestion in the city as there were illegal buses which operated at night and made the streets dirty.

“There was a need to strengthen enforcement in order to make sure the city was clean. Council had decongested the city through the closure of 6th Avenue but the same street had been re-opened without council knowledge.

“He mentioned that the chaos in 6th Avenue was deliberately created in order to benefit certain criminals.
“Additionally, he raised concern over open defecation that was taking place along 5th Avenue and stated that this was contaminating vegetables which would be sold to the residents.
“He was worried that this could lead to a cholera outbreak in the city. There was selective enforcement of issues that had the capacity to affect people’s lives,” the minutes read in part.

Open defecation refers to the human practice of defecating in fields, forests, bushes, bodies of water or other open spaces.
It is against water and sanitisation ideals that the Government is aiming to achieve as it gears toward Vision 2030.
People may choose fields, bushes, forests, ditches, streets, canals or other open spaces for defecation.
They do so either because they do not have a toilet readily accessible or due to traditional cultural practices.

Clr Moyo (Ward 22-Mmeli Thobeka) also expressed displeasure with the council’s waste management system, citing that council resolutions were not being implemented.
He said the streets, particularly on 5th and 6th Avenue, were dirty due to a lack of enforcement.
“He pointed out that the council had made a resolution for a policy that would mandate businesses in the city to buy bins but nothing had been done.

“Resolutions to strengthen enforcement and recruitment of council security personnel had been made but there was no progress with regards to implementation”.
He further requested an urgent meeting with management, particularly the committee responsible for enforcement, to discuss the progress in implementing council decisions.
Ward 9 Clr Donaldson Mabuto also noted that there was a cultural decline in the city, partly due to the noise pollution caused by trucks operating at night.

He emphasised the need for stricter regulations to curb this issue and restore peace and tranquillity to residential areas.
Responding to the concerns on enforcement, Ward 17 Clr Sikhululekile Moyo stated that council had a challenge in procuring uniforms for the newly recruited security officers, hence they had not commenced duty.

“More enforcement officers had been recruited, however due to procurement regulations it was difficult to procure uniforms for them,” she said.
She also mentioned the extensive vandalism of Council bins, which resulted in litter being scattered everywhere. She added that residents should be encouraged to be vigilant and report any acts of vandalism or theft of council property to the relevant authorities.
In response, the Mayor Senator David Coltart highlighted that cleanliness was an issue affecting the whole country.

“Having dirty streets was not part of the country’s culture. He mentioned that some of the policy makers were advocating for lawlessness within the city as they were advising residents not to comply with vending by-laws.
“There was a desire to clean the nation which was shown by the Presidents’ involvement in clean-up campaigns around the country.

“He called on councillors to do the same and encourage cleanliness in the City. Council needed the support of the ZRP Police to enforce environmental by-laws.
“He gave reference to the Cape Town Municipal Traffic police which had arresting powers to regulate by-laws hence, they were more effective than council security officers who had limited powers.
“The chaos at 6th Avenue was affecting major projects such as Egodini which was not receiving the intended fleet for ranking,” the minutes further read.

The mayor also appealed to the Health, Housing, and Education Committee to increase the number of street sweepers, indicating the need to create employment for young people in the city.
The local authority has for long struggled to keep order in the CBD where vendors have become more brazen in their illegal occupation of Fifth Avenue to the point that they react violently to attempts to have them removed from the streets.