THE Lusaka City Council should not even think twice about revoking contracts for companies engaged for garbage collection.The health of the general public must always be a priority, and when a company contracted to collect garbage fails to do so, it should be sent packing.The City of Lusaka has in recent years made headlines, often for the wrong reasons, when it comes to public health, more so when it is to do with garbage collection.We are therefore elated that council authorities are this time round taking a strong stance against non-performing garbage collectors.Lusaka Mayor Chilando Chitangala says all contracts for garbage collection in the Central Business District will soon be terminated for failure to deliver services as expected, Ms Chitangala said only new and serious contractors for waste collection would be engaged.The city becomes an eyesore particularly during the wet season with mountains of garbage strewn throughout the central business district.One finds not only designated disposal sites with heaps of uncollected garbage but even road reserves.What is surprising, as Ms Chitangala noted is that several meetings had been held with the contractors, but they do not want to comply with the contract terms.Moreover, as the mayor pointed out, the contractors have all been paid, such that there should not be any excuses about their failure to carry out their work.The payments were made over three weeks ago meaning that they have the money to meet their operational needs. Ms Chitangala said the council has resolved “that since they are not performing, then their contracts have to be cancelled so that we advertise to get people who have capacity to do the work.” And when the council do contract new companies to collect garbage, it should ensure that they have the capacity to do so in terms of personnel and equipment.It should not be “one-man’” firms with an old wreck of a vehicle being contracted to collect garbage.Waste disposal is a serious business that should not be left to chancers.As we have noted, Lusaka becomes an eyesore during the rainy season and more prone to water-borne diseases from pools of stagnant water and clogged drainages.This is the period when diseases like cholera are likely to break out, hence the more reason why garbage collection must be stepped up.This should not only be confined to the central business district but in residential areas as well, particularly in high density townships with their teeming populations. Although we are alive to the fact that street vendors make the work of garbage collectors difficult, the more reason why the companies and city council could come up with new innovations on how to cope so as to maintain cleanliness in the city.Somehow, the street vendors must be engaged and made aware that their continued stay on the streets is also dependent on how they dispose of the rubbish accruing from their trading activities.There are some who are notorious for dumping rubbish in drainages as opposed to designated garbage collection points.Vendors or not, the Lusaka City Council must ensure that garbage collection is stepped up to ensure a healthy city.
KEEPING LUSAKA CLEAN
