By Rex Mphisa
THE Municipality of Beitbridge (MoB) says it appreciates the arrival of Geo Pomona Waste Management (Pvt) Ltd and the Environmental Management Authorities to assist the town’s litter disposal in the wake of increased litter generation suddenly surged by a sudden gush in arrivals.
Coordinated anti-foreigner reactions and xenophobic attacks in South Africa have seen thousands of Zimbabweans arriving from SA, some willingly, others forcibly.
That movement has generated a huge amount of litter was choking the Beitbridge Municipality whose service to its 60 000 ratepayers was glaringly wanting.
Town Clerk Loud Ramakgapola on Sunday said MoB was relieved having both Geo Pomona and EMA trucks relieving pressure on the small town’s single refuse compactor in service.
He however appealed for other services assistance from Central Government admitting there were several areas the current situation demands.
“As a municipality we obviously appreciate the arrival of Geo Pomona Waste Management company and EMA. Their presence is a giant relief and allows us to maintain our services to residents partially stretched and compromised by pressure. As a town we are hosting many arrivals and naturally such traffic generates litter. We are Zimbabwe’s face and tye arrival of assistance speaks volumes of how Government is above the situation,” said Ramakgapola in an interview with Ziyah News Network.
“Residents were already complaining but we had to look at the Reception Centre where a health time bomb would have been triggered had we failed on waste management which I am glad we managed. The arrival of help is obviously a relief more so when coming from Central Government which has always supported us as a Municipality,” he said.
The EMA compactor was deployed in the commercial sector where daily attention is required while Geo Pomona vehicles and teams are at the Beitbridge Reception Centre.
Ramakgapola appealed for assistance on the road leading to the centre he said was under pressure from increased traffic as the number of vehicles to and from the Reception Centre and Beitbridge Town has increased from last Month as more Zimbabweans and other nationals transit.
“We are experiencing increased traffic and we could do with assistance on the road from the Reception Centre to Beitbridge District Hospital. There is a lot of vehicular movement and this has an impact on the roads,” he said.
Other assistance required would be on street lighting along that road which has become very active.
“We would also appreciate help to supply tapped water to the centre currently reliant on boreholes and donated bottled water,” said Ramakgapola.
Thousands of returnees from Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi are passing through Beitbridge putting pressure on an already burdened local authority.
To date, according to statistics from the border and the Reception Centre more than 120 00 returnees have passed through Beitbridge and more are expected to arrive.
The UN has appealed to the international community to assist Zimbabwe with which it signed a joint appeal for assistance.
Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe was in Beitbridge last Thursday when he accompanied Rosemary Kalapurakal of India who is the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Zimbabwe.
The two signed the joint appeal for international assistance.
Thousands of foreign nationals, primarily from neighboring countries like Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi, are leaving South Africa due to a combination of escalating anti-immigrant threats, mob violence, and intensified government crackdowns on undocumented migrants.
While the SA government distances utself from the expulsion of these foreigners, the arrival of police to assist vigilantes without arresting them has raised eyebrows and many now bekieve these activities aee coordinated by Pretoria.