GEORGETOWN’S ongoing garbage problem has become a symbol of how political disagreements can immobilise a city.
Mayor Alfred Mentore and APNU-aligned councillors recently decided to skip a scheduled meeting with the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand about solid waste management.
This decision highlights how the capital suffers from bad politics. Minister Manickchand’s account of the events is troubling. An invitation to the meeting was accepted and expanded to ensure that all constituencies were represented, but it was suddenly abandoned.
Reports suggest that some APNU councillors who initially attended left quickly after receiving calls. This indicates not just a disagreement but a deliberate obstruction. The residents of Georgetown, who deal with overflowing bins, blocked drains, and a terrible smell every day deserve much better.
There have been many reports on the city’s growing sanitation problems over the years—huge piles of garbage, irregular collection schedules, and conflicts between the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) and the Central Government over responsibilities and resources.
What remains constant is that when cooperation breaks down, the city suffers. This latest incident fits perfectly into that unfortunate trend. Local democracy doesn’t mean local defiance at any cost.
The M&CC has both a constitutional and a moral duty to engage with political opponents when the well-being of citizens is at stake. Choosing to avoid discussions about garbage disposal is not a stand against authority. It is neglecting their responsibility.
Minister Manickchand’s suggestion that some may gain politically from a city becoming unlivable is severe, but it also reflects the frustration of residents who see a stalemate instead of solutions.
It’s also vital to note that the central government has, on many occasions, stepped in to help Georgetown—whether through extra funding, emergency clean-up efforts, or policy changes, often despite resistance from city officials. Attempts at collaboration have happened, sometimes multiple times.
When promises are made and then broken, trust is lost, and progress halts. Georgetown represents Guyana. It is the city that visitors see first, and it is where citizens rely on daily.
Letting it be a pawn in partisan games is unacceptable. Political mandates may be temporary, but garbage, disease, and environmental damage have lasting effects.
The mayor and councillors need to remember that their primary allegiance is not to party lines but to the people who elected them. Dialogue is not giving up, and cooperation is not weak. If Georgetown is to overcome its sanitation crisis, politics must step aside, and service must come first.