Gweru residents have raised an alarm after reports that children are retrieving used face masks and other surgical waste from a dumpsite close to the new Woodlands Park suburb in the City.

Obert Rupanga, the Woodlands Park suburb’s ward development committee chairperson said that children stray into the dumpsite and pick materials to play with.

“Actually, some children pick up used personal protective equipment like face masks and gloves dumped from hospitals,” Rupanga said.

“They wear these when playing and take them to their homes.

“We need help because we are at a great risk of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We have approached the Gweru City Council and they said money to relocate the dumpsite is on this year’s budget but we are concerned that, in the meantime, people may easily perish.”

It is possible that waste from homes occupied by those in self-isolation is finding its way to the dumpsite, a popular playground for children and hunting ground for informal traders specialising in waste recycling, Rupanga added.

The Gweru municipality has been demolishing unapproved structures at the popular Kudzanayi bus terminus and green market and dump the rubbish at the Woodlands site, also raising fears that the virus could be on the rubble.

Plans to relocate the dumpsite to a farm along Lower Gweru was stalled after the ouster of former president Robert Mugabe in a coup in 2017.

Council reportedly wants to set up a new suburb known as Mkoba 21 where the Woodlands dumpsite is located.

Chiundura constituency Member of Parliament, Livingston Chimina said he was aware of the Covid-19 risk in Woodlands Park.

“I have been there to witness the challenges and I am going to take the matter up with relevant authorities,” Chiundura said.

“There is too much hunger there so people are failing to observe social distancing and are not staying at home as they have to earn a living.”