BCC to Turn Ngozi Mine into a Hub of Opportunities

26 February 2025

By Anisha Hungwe

The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has announced plans to transform Ngozi Mine from a hazardous dumpsite into a sustainable energy and recycling hub, aiming to create jobs and improve living conditions for nearby communities.

Speaking at a recent conference, Bulawayo Mayor Senator David Coltart emphasized that Ngozi Mine has posed serious health risks for years. He said BCC is committed to cleaning up the site and converting it into a recycling plant for plastic and other materials.

“It’s important we get this Ingozi Mine waste energy project going. You know, especially if you live in Cowdray Park or the North-West, Ngozi Mine is just awful. The fumes are disgusting, and people are really suffering because of them,” Coltart said.

He expressed the city’s desire to clean this part of Bulawayo for the people of Bulawayo as well as create employment for those who live around Ngozi Mine.

“That site, Ngozi Mine, it’s an open and gaping wound on our city. We cannot ignore it any longer. We need an urgent project, one that cleans up the mess and turns it into something beneficial: energy, recycled plastics – we need it all,” Coltart added.

Once a gold mine, Ngozi Mine is now Bulawayo’s largest dumpsite, home to over 200 squatter families. BCC plans to relocate affected residents and restore the area.

The rehabilitation project is expected to generate employment and bring relief to Cowdray Park residents, who have endured years of toxic smoke from the dumpsite.