Victoria Falls Municipality on waste management

 Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

IN an effort to encourage recycling and sustainable waste management, Victoria Falls Municipality is urging residents to separate garbage in their homes and use organic waste as compost in gardens.

The local authority has said majority of waste is biodegradable kitchen left overs that can be recycled and used at household level.

Residents mix metals and electric gadgets including batteries which increases fossil fuels that cause veld fires at the dumpsite while also causing disposal challenges for the council at the dumpsite.

Speaking during a tour of an engineered landfill under construction, Victoria Falls town clerk Mr Ronnie Dube said the local authority is investing in sustainable waste management to meet international tourism destination standards.

The low cost landfill is being constructed using Devolution Funds from Government and is modelled around the Fukuoka waste treatment model in Japan.

“We are too eager to manage our waste post-Covid-19. This period has given us time to think about how to make our town green. We asked to meet stakeholders here so they have an appreciation of the project. We are a tourism town and we saw it fit to invest Devolution Funds into the project that so we meet world destination standards. We had planned a programme of centralising refuse collection in suburbs where we would be collecting from designated points with people expected to separate waste at home,” said Mr Dube.

He said waste separation at source is cost effective.

Victoria Falls town engineer Mrs Sherinah Sibanda said awareness programmes are lined up to educate residents about waste management.

She said mixing waste material is costly for council and makes management difficult yet residents can improve livelihoods through recycling.

“We had planned an awareness programme but we had to start by doing the landfill after getting $3,5 million Devolution Funds. Waste differs from town to town and suburb to suburb. We will need to characterise our waste and teach people to start separating at source. We may find no need for big bins at home but simply use plastic bags because some of the rubbish we put in bins is biodegradable and can be used as compost in our gardens. In developed countries waste generates revenue but for us we throw everything away,” said Mrs Sibanda.

She said the council will introduce centralised refuse collection where residents will take their bins to certain points near their houses on the day of refuse collection.

“Station collection makes collection easier, efficient and saves fuel and time as the truck won’t be getting into each and every street. We would need a cage, not for people to offload garbage but to put bins on the day of refuse collection. This will also encourage everyone to be responsible and not load soil and heavy material into bins,” explained the engineer.

Residents are encouraged to put electrical gadgets, metals, plastic paper and containers, tins and other items separately.

Mrs Sibanda said council will come up with a calendar for collection of specific type of waste.

She said even people who scavenge for valuables at the dumpsite will not do it haphazardly and litter the environment as they will go to specific points where the things they want will be.

Mrs Sibanda said in countries where waste separation is done at source, businesses advertise on refuse trucks because they are clean.

Outgoing Combined Victoria Falls Residents Association chair Mr Morgen Gazza Dube said it will be prudent to constantly educate residents about waste separation and recycling.

Source: Victoria Falls Municipality on waste management (11/09/20)

Tourism Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu joins clean up exercise in Victoria Falls

 Prosper Ndlovu, in Victoria Falls

ENVIRONMENT, Climate ,Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Mangaliso Ndlovu, has called on the nation to maintain clean surroundings while adhering to recommended health guidelines to effectively fight the spread of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.

He was leading a clean-up exercise in the resort town Friday morning, where he pointed out that environment conservation was a key factor in enhancing tourism destination attraction.

The minister commended the local authority for striving to keep clean streets as the town is litter-free. He applauded Zimbabweans for embracing the national cleanup drive, which is conducted monthly and is in its 20th segment following its launch by President Mnangagwa last year.

The media has also played a key role in terms of environmental consciousness and awareness, he said.

Ndlovu was accompanied by players in the tourism sector and senior directors of parastatals under the ministry such as EMA, Forestry Commission, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority. ZimParks and Victoria Falls Mayor Councilor Somvelo Dlamini.

Source: Maintain clean environment to fight Covid-19 (07/08/20)

Victoria Falls, Livingstone youths in clean-up campaign

Leonard Ncube/Rosalla Mzacana, Victoria Falls Reporters
A GROUP of volunteer youths from Victoria Falls and their counterparts from Livingstone in Zambia embarked on a clean-up of the Victoria Falls Rainforest and Bridge in an effort to keep the resort destination in its pristine state.

The two countries share the Victoria Falls and bridge, both tourist attractions, with the now popular imagery that Zimbabwe is the front and Zambia the back of the beautiful Mighty Victoria Falls.

However, human activity in and around the area has led to significant pollution, which has even seen the Rainforest being invaded by the water hyacinth plant while visitors also throw litter around.

Green Line Africa working with the Zimbabwe Youth Environment Network of Victoria Falls and Zambia Youth Network organised the clean-up with 21 youths taking part last week.

Zimbabwe Youth Environment Network chairperson Mr Taffy Phiri said the exercise was part of the Global Action Month activities to inculcate a culture of cleanliness among youths and communities.

“Our aim here is to make sure we educate young people about the importance of safeguarding their environment and encouraging them to be involved and take action.

“Don’t treat the earth as if it was left to you by your ancestors but treat it as if it was lent to you by your children,” said Mr Phiri.

“As much as the Rainforest is the responsibility of the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, it is also our mandate as the youths to ensure that we assist in preserving the heritage site.”

His counterpart from Zambia Youth Network assistant field officer Miss Vanessa Chibale said the coming together of the youths was a way for them to learn from each other.

“We are here to engage one another to exchange notes in terms of taking care of the environment,” she said.

The Global Action Month runs under the theme “Promoting Children’s Environmental Rights: Act Now” and is dedicated to the engagement of young people to be active in taking care and preserving their environment. Terre Des Hommes of Germany is funding the programme.

Source: Victoria Falls, Livingstone youths in clean-up campaign (20/11/18)

At least 8 elephants dead from consuming plastic from dump - Victoria Falls

Eight elephants have died so far this year from eating too much plastic waste at the Victoria Falls dumpsite, according to Environment Africa.

THE Victoria Falls receives over one million visitors each year, but the large quantity of waste left behind is beginning to kill the wildlife they come to see.

Eight elephants have died so far this year from eating too much plastic waste at the Victoria Falls dumpsite, according to Environment Africa, a local environment charity organisation.

Worried that the open dump could lead to more deaths, Environment Africa are now leading a campaign to raise $50 000 to help build a solar-powered fence around the site.

“The fence will surround the dumpsite and will not be harmful to the animals,” said Charlene Hewit, chief executive Environment Africa, by email.

“The electric fence will give them a shock.” It is not known how much distance the fence will cover.
But an electric fence of this nature will likely run on a potential energy of 5 000 volts, using heavy aluminium wire, says Trevor Shumbamhini, an electronics engineer.

It can work on two fronts, he says, — a solar-powered fence energiser with in-built battery, or one with a separate external battery, depending on circumstances. Both can supply power for extended periods when the sun is not shining. The energiser is an electric device that controls the amount of electrical shock sent through the fence from the power source, in this case, the battery.

With that much energy, the electric fence is built not so much as to harm the animal but to send a little warning shock.

Shocked once, the animal begins to recognise the danger around a specific area to avoid a second dance.

By using solar, Environment Africa have circumvented Zimbabwe’s existing sharp power shortages. But there is still one more problem of which to be wary.

“One of the issues with the fence that has to be taken care of is that people do not come and steel the wire and use that for snares for poaching,” warned Mrs Hewit.

“We have linked up with the Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit (VAPU), who are going to assist with the anti-poaching around the area and protection of the fence.”
Waste nightmare

Like much of urban Zimbabwe, the Victoria Falls has experienced rapid development and population growth.

Its population has risen three-fold in the past two decades to 33 000 in 2012, according to Government data.

And again like everyone else, the town has struggled to manage the 3 300 tonnes of solid waste generated each year by its residents, businesses and the millions of tourists that flock to see the world famous waterfall, Victoria Falls, and to see the abundant wildlife. Across Zimbabwe, towns and cities produce over 614 000 tonnes of solid waste annually, a quarter of it plastic, says the Environmental Management Agency.

Only 52 percent of the waste is ever collected and properly disposed by municipalities. The rest is either burnt, buried underground or dumped anywhere. In Victoria Falls, the dumping congregates at an open vast space on the edge of town. And with its diversity of waste — food left overs, metal cans, plastic packaging etc — the dump has become an animal’s paradise, conservationists say.
Food comes easy at this garbage rendezvous, like manna from heaven. Several animal species — from baboons to elephants — forage there.

“There are resident elephants who have been patrolling around Victoria Falls for some time now,” said Mrs Hewit.

“They find it easier to come and eat at the dumpsite. They come during the evenings mostly.”
The Victoria Falls municipality has dismissed the claims as false.

“We are not aware of elephants that have died in the Victoria Falls from eating plastic from the town’s dumpsite,” charged Lot Syatimbula, the town’s director for housing and community services, by telephone.

“Does an elephant eat plastic at all? Where exactly did these deaths occur, when? Victoria Falls is a small town we would know even when one elephant dies. Some of these non-governmental organisation tend to be sensational.”
Death within days

It is not easy to put down a 6-tonne adult elephant, but plastic does that within days if consumed to excess, according to veterinary experts.

From fruit to tree leaves to tree bark, the elephant diet is diverse — and so is the strength of its digestive system — but plastic isn’t just an option, they say.

“I have yet to actually do a post-mortem on any of the elephants . . . but if the plastic consumed is very huge, death could occur within a few days, possibly a week,” explained Dr Chris Foggin, a veterinary surgeon with the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust.

“If it is accumulation of large numbers of small pieces of plastic that somehow got together to make a big piece of obstruction in the intestines, it (death) could take months.”

Caroline Washaya Moyo, spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority, did not respond to questions emailed to her.

There are more than 80 000 elephants in Zimbabwe — one of the world’s biggest herd— with over 50 percent of the endangered animal concentrated in the Hwange-Victoria Falls area, authorities say.
As Environment Africa presses on with its electric fence plan, with a website to mobilise funding already running, the Victoria Falls municipality has also begun to look at better ways of managing its waste.

According to Mr Syatimbula, the town is finalising tenders for the construction of an 8-cell landfill.

The mandatory Environmental Impact Assessments — evaluations of a project’s potential ecological impact — have been completed, he said.

Dumpsites are open areas where waste is disposed randomly, but the landfill is designed and monitored with care. With the landfill, the ground is usually opened up on a huge area and filled up with trash.

But until this happens, the Victoria Falls, one of the world’s seven natural wonders, will likely run the risk of killing its own.

Source: Electric fence for Vic Falls dumpsite. . . 8 elephants dead from consuming plastics (14/03/16)

6 elephants die from eating plastic bags in Vic Falls

(14th March 2016)

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe – At least 6 elephants have died in the last 18 months in Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls National Park after swallowing plastic bags found on a dump site, a local conservationist says.

Trevor Lane of the Bhejane Trust, which operates in Victoria Falls and Hwange National Park, said elephants frequently forage in the municipal dump at Victoria Falls. The animals eat "highly-scented" plastic bags (like bread bags) and then (hopefully) pass them out when they defecate.

"The whole park is littered with plastic [from elephant dung]," Lane told News24.

But not every plastic-eating elephant survives. The six known to have died in the last year to 18 months "ingested too much plastic. It actually killed them", he said.

"It must be a terribly agonising death," he added.

Lane is one of the brains behind the Victoria Falls Elefence project. Fundraisers hope to raise US$50 000 to build a solar-powered electric fence round the municipal dump to keep the elephants out. 

A video has been uploaded to YouTube by the Elefence community showing the mountains of plastic at the dump and the elephants that forage there.

The Victoria Falls Wildlife Fund, which is part of the project, said in a post to Facebook last week, "Wildlife are often found eating out of the dump site and this has led to illness and death in different species including elephant."

Baboons scavenge in Victoria Falls municipal dump too but they are "far too clever" to swallow plastic, Lane said. "They just pick away at the rubbish," he said. 

Source: 6 elephants die from eating plastic bags in Vic Falls (11/03/16)

More: Victoria Falls Elefence Project

Littering and Dumping in Victoria Falls Carries Fines

(Victoria Falls)

29 January, 2016

The basic role of the Urban Councils Act in Zimbabwe is to regulate "the affairs of cities, municipalities, towns and local boards" (http://www.zimbabwesituation.com/). This means that it governs local authorities in urban areas (while the Rural District Act governs local authorities in rural areas).

According to the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29: 15), it is an offense to throw litter such as waste containers, clippings, rubbish, rubble, garden waste or vegetable matter, paper, etc. or any other matter or substance which is unwholesome, offensive or untidy.

In Victoria Falls, the Anti-Litter By-Laws have offences and penalties, which are as follows:

1. Street littering (bus tickets, food wrappers, cigarette packets etc) - US$ 50

2. Littering at picnic spots, lay-bys, parks and open spaces - US$ 50

3. Discharging rubbish from a vehicle - US$100

4. Dumping of garden refuse or building rubble where prohibited - US$250

5. Dumping of dead animals, filth or any substance which is unwholesome, offensive or untidy - US$300

6. Dumping of hazardous waste material - US$1000

7. Affixing a poster, sign or advertisement of any material to a wall, post, tree - US$300

8. Continuing contravention, for each day during which the contravention continues - US$100

In the Victoria Falls town centre, you will find trash receptacles along the roads, and at the supermarkets. If, for some rare reason you cannot find one, or they are filled up, the lodges and hotels in town will have somewhere for you to get rid of refuse.

Source:  Littering and Dumping in Victoria Falls Carries Fines (29/01/16)

Keeping Victoria Falls clean

From the June 2013 issue of the Zambezi Traveller. Click here to visit the Zambezi Traveller blog.

An important part of taking care of the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site is ensuring that the town and its surrounds are litter-free. The importance of proper litter disposal is highlighted in the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust’s conservation education programme, working with more than 1,000 schoolchildren annually to promote conservation.

In 2012 the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust decided to assist the town with keeping litter under control. A team was established, collecting rubbish from the main roads around the town six days a week. More than 2000 large bin bags have been collected since the project was initiated, making a significant difference to the town and its environment.

The Victoria Falls Rotatrians are now joining forces with the trust to expand this project and will be working with local partners in assisting with a recycling program. Both the trust and Rotary are inviting all Victoria Falls residents and businesses to get involved in this initiative.

Zambezi Traveller Directory:
Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust

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