Maintain dumps well, Windhoek mayor urges LCC
By Kondwani Munyeka and Lovely Kayombo
Sat 21 Apr. 2012, 13:28 CAT
WINDHOEK mayor Elaine Trepper has challenged Lusaka City Council to take up a key role in ensuring that dumps are well maintained. During the presentation of a preliminary report on the work of the LCC, Trepper advised the local authority to find shelter for vendors for a clean Lusaka.
"My appeal to Lusaka City Council is that they should provide skip containers outside Soweto market because the place looks like a dumping site on its own...there is need to encourage the people to trade in markets because it is not good to turn pavements into markets. The mindset of people needs to change and the council should introduce measures of punishment," Trepper said.
The findings on the preliminary report indicate that the council has a high number of vacant positions and many senior staff in acting positions which makes it difficult for the council to operate effectively.
The report also indicated that there was a shortage of critical skills in the engineering department, poor staff conditions of service and lengthy procurement process of materials, among others.
But LCC public relations manager Chanda Makanta said in an interview that the increase in vacant positions at the local authority was a result of the council's inability to offer attractive remuneration packages to its employees.
"It is not that there are no qualified people to fill the vacancies but it is because the council does not offer attractive remuneration. That is why they shun to come and work here," she said.
Makanta also said the lengthy procurement process at the council was a result of lack of resources.
"The long procurement process is as a result of lack of adequate resources. The council may not have the money to procure things there and then because resources trickle in bit by bit and with the meagre revenue, we are trying to deliver a better service to the people," said Makanta.
Labels: GARBAGE COLLECTION, LCC, NAMIBIA
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Co-op recyles waste material
Tuesday, 23 August 2011 02:00
Herald Reporter
A co-operative in Waterfalls has taken the initiative to promote re-cycling of domestic waste in the area. The group, Arthouse run by six couples, makes floor polish and hats out of soft drink and beer cans. They also make animal sculptures out of scrap metal.
The co-operative has attracted the attention of the Environmental Management Agency. It is also exhibiting its products in the EMA stand at the ongoing Zimbabwe Agricultural Show. In an interview yesterday, group spokesperson Ms Nancy Muzah said they have been in the business for the past two years and have since co-opted a number young people.
"The core of the group is made up of 12 people though we work with other young people who collect scrap metal and tins for us. We also collect plastic that is melted to produce floor polish and pelts for sale at plastic manufacturing companies. The product is quite popular with women as it has also a version for polishing tiles.
"We are now running short of cans and plastic in the area that we are appealing for organisations to provide cages for people to deposit these cans so that we do not have to go and pick them at shopping centres," she said.
The group is exhibiting alongside other groups that are also collecting garbage for recycling. An EMA official said they were promoting community projects in waste management to ensure that people value the usefulness of the garbage being disposed everywhere in the city.
"Waste is becoming a problem for the country's city and it is imperative that we start encouraging communities to take over the initiative of safe disposal and recyling of domestic waste.
"Communities should be able to sort out their waste accordingly so that those that decay are used as organic manure while the plastic and tin cans are recycled," the official said.
Labels: COOPERATIVES, GARBAGE COLLECTION
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Terminate garbage contracts, Masebo directs LCC
By Inonge Noyoo
Monday July 30, 2007 [04:00]
MINISTER of local government Sylvia Masebo has directed the Lusaka City Council to terminate contracts of garbage collecting companies that were not doing their job properly. Responding to Gwembe UDA member of parliament Brian Ntundu on Friday, who wanted to know why the LCC was failing to collect garbage when it collected about K11 billion as ground rates every year, Masebo said LCC was trying very hard to collect garbage from all areas of he city.
She said the issue of waste management and waste disposal should not be left to the local authorities alone. Masebo said people should learn to throw litter in designated areas as a contribution to making their surroundings clean.
She revealed that Lusaka City Council had zoned Lusaka and had subcontracted companies to collect garbage according to the zones. Masebo said in some cases the communities were not assisting the companies because they were not throwing litter in the right places.
Masebo, however, noted that some garbage collecting companies were performing below par and thus her ministry had instructed the council to terminate contracts of companies that were under performing.
Labels: GARBAGE COLLECTION, LCC, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, SYLVIA MASEBO
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