HARARE - Harare councillors have demanded an immediate recall of the director of Waste Management and Amenities, Dombo Chibanda, from “annual leave” to deal with piling garbage ahead of Christmas.

With the city again falling prey to typhoid and diarrhoea, councillors questioned the rationale behind sending Chibanda on leave.

They claimed Chibanda could have fallen foul to politics.

The move, according to councillors, has exposed Harare residents to risks of a cholera outbreak due to uncollected garbage in most suburbs.

“Where is the director of Amenities or his deputy because I have garbage concerns that I need him to answer to?” queried councillor Victor Chifodya during a meeting chaired by mayor Muchadeyi Masunda.

Councillors then went wild when Masunda tried to dispel the allegations that Chibanda was suspended, saying the director’s leave was overdue.

“He had accumulated leave days in excess of 200. He has not been relieved of his duties as some councillors allege. Your role is on policy issues not the nitty gritties. Directors report to the town clerk,” said Masunda amid interruption from councillors who felt he was not being honest.

Another councillor, Peter Marange, said the leave was ill-timed considering Harare has become a breeding ground for water-borne diseases triggered by poor refuse management and sanitation ahead of the festive season.

Although Chibanda’s leave was supposed to end on January 4, the councillors unanimously demanded that he be recalled immediately. - Wendy Muperi