Nyusi discusses waste management in Maputo, says city council not solely to blame
President Filipe Nyusi today addressed the recent waste management issues in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, stating that the responsibility does not solely lie with the city council.
His comments follow the interruption of garbage collection in Maputo due to financial disbursement issues between the Municipal Council and its contracted waste management companies. The council has accumulated a debt of 160 million meticais to these companies, leading to a halt in solid waste collection activities.
Nyusi emphasized that if cities are dirty, it is the citizens' responsibility, not just the Municipal Council's. He added that no mayor of any municipality instructs their employees to litter the city.
“I don’t know if the Municipality ever said with its employees: let's go litter the city,” Nyusi remarked, questioning, “When they say there is trash, who is actually littering?”
Nyusi made these comments in Maputo during the inauguration of the first Balcão do Atendimento ao Munícipe in the country.
The Maputo Municipal Council explained that it has been following a financial management plan prioritizing installment payments to contracted companies, sometimes sacrificing essential activities.
Nampula city also faces significant challenges with garbage collection, with large amounts of waste left uncollected and creating foul odors, especially in market centers.
It is noteworthy that residents of both cities pay a monthly cleaning fee, which is deducted when purchasing electricity.
