Rubbish thrown in public places to be removed within two weeks

The minister of Health has given a two-week ultimatum to local authorities of Bwiza and Mutanga neighborhoods to remove tons of rubbish lying in the both neighborhoods.

Tons of rubbish thrown along the ravine separating Bwiza and Nyakabiga neighbohoods

“All this rubbish must be removed before the end of June and you must take necessary measures to prevent your citizens from throwing again solid waste along or into the rivers and roads,” Thaddée Ndikumana Minister of Health urged local authorities of Mutanga Sud and Bwiza neighborhoods during an inspection visit conducted in various neighborhoods of Bujumbura on June 17. In Bwiza Zone, he has found tons of rubbish thrown along a ravine separating the Nyakabiga and Bwiza zones in the center of the capital Bujumbura.

This filth constitutes a dangerous threat to residents of Bwiza neighborhood who fear they would catch diseases caused by lack of hygiene.
G.N, a shopkeeper working near the pile of garbage in this neighborhood says the waste is thrown by people mainly little boys who are paid to remove household them from some houses of Nyakabiga and Bwiza neighborhood. “They work illegally and are paid by some people who do not subscribe to officially recognized companies in charge of collecting garbage in Bujumbura City,” he says.

Mr. Ndikumana has also deplored the fact that all the waste collected from the Mutanga Sud temporary market are thrown along the Ntahangwa River crossing Bujumbura City. Traders operating in this market explain that they are not subscribers to companies collecting waste. “We have no choice. We do not have any other place where we can throw waste collected from the market. The minister urges them to subscribe to companies working legally. “The pollution of the Ntahangwa River constitutes a public health threat since there are some people who consume water from that river,” says Ndikumana.

Rhamadan Nkurikiye, the principal adviser to the Mayor of Bujumbura City explains that the tons of rubbish observed in some public places are caused by the fact that some inhabitants of Bujumbura do not regularly pay companies in charge of collecting rubbish. “Those people then pay some little boys who remove waste from households and throw them in public places,” he says. Mr Nkurikiye reassures that local authorities will soon hold a meeting to solve the issue.