Despite multiple initiatives introduced over the years to handle the capital city’s waste, Cameroon’s political capital, Yaounde, remains littered, eliciting shame and lamentation from denizens.
The rising waste management crisis that has plagued Yaoundé in recent years has reached another milestone. The latest development in the hygiene and sanitation crisis has left localities and temporary garbage dumping sites in the capital city overflowing with waste, affecting major areas. The crisis, caused by the failure of competent authorities to collect waste in the affected areas, is particularly impacting the Yaoundé III and Yaoundé VI subdivisions, with the Mendong, Nsam, and Efoulan neighborhoods among the most affected. The garbage issue is also obstructing the free flow of traffic in some areas, especially where the worsening social crisis has led to waste spilling onto roads and blocking sections of major streets. The disruptions to road networks have prompted emergency interventions from agents and private individuals, some of whom have been brought in to clear sections of roads blocked by garbage.
Inhabitants lament, fear health hazards
The waste management crisis has left many Yaoundé residents fearing for their health. Most inhabitants interviewed by The National Post, including road users and those living near neglected dump sites, complained about the unbearable odor emanating from the garbage. They expressed concerns about the risk of infections due to the stench, emphasizing that their worries are compounded by the presence of food vendors and business operators who continue to operate near the affected areas. Many Yaoundé inhabitants have voiced their frustration, with some blaming authorities for neglecting the waste management system and allowing disorder to thrive in the sector.
A nation’s stinking puzzle
This is not the first time that Yaoundé has struggled with waste management. Over the past three to four years, the capital, which generates a significant portion of Cameroon’s estimated six million tons of waste annually, has faced multiple crises in waste management. Several of these crises have prompted interventions from high-ranking officials, including the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, the Prime Minister, and even the Head of State. In December 2023, President Paul Biya, in his end-of-year address, urged the government to find urgent and sustainable solutions to the situation, stressing the need for efficient waste collection mechanisms. The Head of State recommended strengthening collaboration with local municipalities and urban communities to further decentralize the waste management chain and improve efficiency. Biya’s call came just six weeks after the Prime Minister, Chief Dr. Joseph Dion Ngute, instructed government officials and mayors to undertake emergency measures to tackle the crisis, including addressing issues related to the capital city’s road networks. He issued these directives during an inter-ministerial meeting held at the Star Building in October of the same year. Following these instructions, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Celestine Ketcha Courtes engaged stakeholders in July 2023 to seek solutions to the waste management crisis, urging the Yaoundé City Council to renew contracts with the two companies responsible for managing waste in the capital.
Problem bigger than just administrative collaboration
Despite calls for greater coordination in addressing waste management, authorities directly involved in the system, including the Yaoundé City Council, have stated that the root of the crisis goes beyond a lack of collaboration. Yaoundé City Mayor Luc Messi Atangana has repeatedly emphasized that the primary challenge is financial. In a letter sent to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development in September 2023, the mayor explained that the ongoing waste crisis was due to funding challenges affecting the companies responsible for managing waste. He noted that state corporation Hysacam and the recently contracted private company Thychlof Sarl, which were tasked with waste management, lacked the necessary financial resources to effectively carry out their work. The mayor’s statement contradicted the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, who, in an earlier letter to the mayor, implied that the waste crisis was escalating because the Yaoundé City Council had yet to renew the contracts of the two companies. According to authorities, over 61 billion FCFA is required annually for waste management in Cameroon. However, reports indicate that less than half of the needed funds are typically allocated to the sector, severely hampering waste collection efforts. The waste management crisis is further exacerbating Yaoundé’s broader urban challenges, including poor drainage systems, deteriorating road networks, and persistent water and energy shortages.
