Africa-Press – Tanzania. PRESIDENT Hussein Ali Mwinyi mid this week issued a three-month ultimatum to authorities here to complete Zanzibar Urban Services Projects (ZUSP), which includes improving sanitation infrastructure or risk losing their job.
Dr Mwinyi issued the directives after a spot check on streets, including inspecting an implementation of a USD 93 million project.
During the tour, Dr Mwinyi witnessed incomplete and poor quality work, with streets littered with garbage, unattended wastes, and non-functioning street lights.
Zanzibar City generates about 280 tonnes of waste daily, but the collection is less than 50 per cent.
“It is a pity that our experts have been on the ground, but do not follow-up the implementation of the projects, along with ensuring improved sanitation. It is a multimillion project but you have not taken it serious. The municipalities do not even have waste collection equipment, including trucks, and no reason to justify lack of cleaning equipment,” President Mwinyi said.
Accompanied by his wife Mariam and several executives from the government, the president reiterated that he will not spare leaders and executives behind shoddy work, public fund embezzlement, poor management, underperformance, not-value for money, and corruption.
Some of the areas visited by President Mwinyi yesterday include the airport road with filthy streets, Maruhubi waste collection site, and Kibele dumping and recycling site, as he pushes for change from ‘business-as usual’ to best results.
The ZUSP Project is set to improve access to urban services in Zanzibar and conserve the physical cultural heritage at one public location within the stone town.
There are several components to the project: institutional strengthening of Zanzibar municipal council; construction of storm water drainage channels in the areas outside of the stone town, and design and installation of street lighting in ZMC.
ZUSP also includes solid waste collection and transportation within ZMC, construction of the Mizingani sea wall, and support to town councils on Pemba Island (Chake Chake, Mkoani and Wete).
