15 Jul 2021

The Francistown City Council is overwhelmed by indiscriminate littering and illegal disposal of refuse, says the city mayor, Mr Godisang Radisigo.

Speaking during a media brief on Tuesday, Mr Radisigo said failure by polluters to own up to the refuse they generated was a contributory factor to the problem.

“To this end, it has become imperative for the Council to formulate a refuse bye-law that would promote ownership and accountability by polluters with respect to the refuse they generate,” he said.

The scope of the bye-law, said Mr Radisigo, would allow refuse generators to tell the city council where they store their refuse while awaiting collection and disposal.

He also said the refuse generator should provide sufficient waste receptacles of a certain size and the volume to accommodate waste while awaiting collection.

Also, the refuse generators have a duty to be able to demonstrate that indeed their refuse reaches the landfill in the event they choose to transport their waste to the landfill.

They should also be able to establish that the refuse collected by any private arrangement from their custody reaches the landfill.

Mr Radisigo said on the other hand, they should not deposit refuse in a place not designated to receive such waste.

The refuse generators, he said, should be ready to pay for refuse collection and should not at any time burn waste in their custody.

He said that the city council was looking forward to connecting Wi-Fi in five selected areas being the bus rank, Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital, Phillip Matante International Airport, Nzano and Galo malls.

Regarding the revitalisation of the City of Francistown, he said the council would start branding from Kenneth Nkhwa Interchange through Blue Jacket Street to the exit point leading to the north, adding that the tender for market revitalisation has been awarded.

He said 150 plots were expected to be allocated at Gerald Estate and the process started in May.

A total of 51 applicants were consulted and 29 given offer letters.

Myor Radisigo advised the community not to sell plots and encouraged the youth to apply for Youth Development Fund, which pplication period closes in August. ENDS