Many people complain about the lack of cleanliness in some areas of Bujumbura city. They wonder whether the services involved are doing their job.
<doc7028|right>Streets and some areas of Bujumbura city are full of dirt. The same case is observed around the markets where people sell their goods while sitting in dirty places featured by foul smells and flies roaming around their goods. Customers always complain about this situation but their voice hasn’t been heard yet. "We are fed up with the dirt which is everywhere." says L.N.
Laura T. shares the same point of view saying that:"Dirtiness is found everywhere regardless of what people are selling or buying. Mosquitoes and insects are flying around. Consequently, people are ignorantly contaminated by different diseases as market places are far from being clean and salubrious."
Indeed, sellers running their goods around dirty places say that they don’t have any choice because they have nowhere else to go. However, they highlight that they run the risk of falling sick and losing their customers. Chantal is a trade of vegetables and other edible products. Not far from her, dirtiness characterized the place and people are welcomed by a prevailing foul smell.
"My colleagues and I don’t have any choice. We don’t have anywhere to go as Bujumbura Central Market got fire. We try to earn our living and feed our families though we know that later we will suffer from various diseases because of dirtiness»; she sadly says. "We need the government and the Mayor’s office or other services involved in cleaning the city to urgently make efforts and find out solutions to this issue or if need be, to find other private partners to help." Chantal recommends.
Setemu (The City Technical Service) reaction
The Managing Director Mpawenimana Jean Paul explains that his institution works for the government under the supervision of the City Governing Board of the Mayor’s office and it’s paid for the services it undertook. He reminds that : "Setemu is not only involved in cleaning but also, it takes part in various projects of development like paving roads and streets, building bridges, schools, etc.". He adds that Setemu can also work for everyone provided that it is paid.
"Then, concerning the issue of dirtiness, the Mayor’s office is our supervision authority. We receive instructions and orders from the Mayor, then we work and our services are remunerated in exchange. We are ready and eager to offer but it’s up to the Mayor’s office to provide the answer to that issue." he concludes.
We tried to seek information towards the Mayor’s office but in vain.
Jean Paul Mpawenimana, Chairman of Setemu : " We receive instructions and orders from the Mayor’s office , then we work and our services are remunerated in exchange"
