MARKETEERS CALL FOR ALLOCATION OF SKIP BINS AT DUMPING SITES
Written by Mafken FM Newsroom on 7 July 2023
Some Marketeers trading at Malela Market in Mufulira District on the Copperbelt have expressed their displeasure over the delay by Mufulira Municipal Council in distributing skip bins that are meant to be used at the Market’s dumping site.
In an exclusive interview with Mafken FM radio, the marketeers expressed their concerns regarding the health hazards posed by the current condition of the dumping site.
Bridget Mutale, one of the marketeers at Malela Market, has called upon the council to expedite the distribution of the skip bins, highlighting the risks of fires being ignited due to the absence of proper waste management facilities.
She has emphasized that the situation not only poses a health risk to herself but also to her infant child whom she carries with her.
Echoing similar sentiments, another marketeer identified as Banakulu Bantu, stressed that the health risks extend beyond children and also impact elderly individuals, adding that the dumping site is not solely utilised by marketeers from Malela but also serves as the disposal site for garbage generated by traders in the Central Business District.
Last year, through the utilisation of the 2022 Constituency Development Funds (CDF), Kantanshi, Kankoyo, and Mufulira Central constituencies collaborated to procure 15 skip bins, which were intended for placement in areas with high waste generation.
Unfortunately, since their arrival, the skip bins have remained unused and have been stored at the Mufulira Municipal Council’s parking lot.
Mufulira Municipal Council Assistant Public Relations Manager, Thandiwe Tembo, has explained in an interview with Mafken FM radio that the delay in distributing the skip bins was primarily caused by the late delivery of the skip truck, the only equipment capable of safely transporting the bins to their designated locations.
Ms Tembo says that the council successfully concluded the procurement process, and the estimated arrival time for the skip truck in the district is within the next two to three weeks.
She has since reassured the marketeers and the entire district that once the skip truck arrives, the council will promptly commence the delivery process of the skip bins.
By Comfort Nthala
