Zimbabwe – Women Empowering Sustainable Environments (WESE) is issuing an urgent public health and environmental warning to the residents of Masvingo City and the relevant authorities. We have observed a deteriorating and dangerous situation at the Rowton Club, which is currently being utilized by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) as a holding area for buses.

This site has become an environmental disaster zone. Buses are routinely held for six to eight hours at a time, with many passengers forced to sleep on-site in unhygienic conditions. There is a complete absence of basic sanitation infrastructure most notably, there are no waste bins provided for the thousands of travelers passing through.

As a direct result of this negligence, the surrounding environment is being heavily polluted with litter and human waste. This is not merely an eyesore; it is a ticking time bomb for a cholera outbreak. The lack of proper waste disposal facilities in such a high-traffic area, combined with the presence of passengers sleeping in close proximity to accumulating refuse, creates a perfect breeding ground for water-borne disea
WESE strongly condemns the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) for this flagrant disregard for environmental health and public safety. An organization of such national importance must be a leader in corporate social responsibility, yet their operations at the Rowton Club are endangering the lives of Masvingo residents.

We demand immediate action from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority to rectify this crisis:
Immediate Sanitation Infrastructure: ZIMRA must install an adequate number of waste bins and sanitary facilities for the travelers currently being held at the site.
Waste Management Strategy: ZIMRA must implement a daily waste collection and site cleaning schedule to ensure the area does not become a dumping ground.

Accountability: We call upon the local health authorities and city council to inspect the Rowton Club site immediately and enforce environmental health standards before a preventable outbreak occurs.

WESE is committed to a clean, sustainable, and healthy environment for all women, children, and families in Masvingo. We will not stand by while the health of our community is compromised by bureaucratic negligence. We expect the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority to take immediate, transparent steps to clean up this site and protect our city.