TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga says local authorities should incorporate community based organisations in the push towards recycling to promote clean, safe and healthy environments.
Speaking at a clean-up campaign at Mukula Business Centre in Umguza, Matabeleland North, Chiwenga said it was the duty of citizens to ensure the country is safe and clean.
“It is common cause that the local authorities must capacitate the self-initiated recycling projects by community-based organisations and allocate them designated operating space to enhance the culture of recycling at local level. This promotes the holistic approach of encouraging reuse of waste to make profitable products for the general population and helps people earn a living,” Chiwenga said in a speech read on his behalf by
Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution minister Richard Moyo.
He said local authorities should embrace such initiatives of incorporating community members with the “rapid expansion facing our rural service centres, growth points and towns”.
In December 2018, President Mnangagwa launched the national clean-up campaign and declared the first Friday of each calendar month as a national clean-up day.
Minister of State for Bulawayo Metropolitan Judith Ncube said residents in Bulawayo should desist from dumping waste at illegal sites.
“The rainy season is upon us and thus illegal dumping of waste can result in proliferation of diarrhoeal diseases such as cholera and typhoid. We continue to plead with the citizens of Bulawayo to desist from dumping waste at illegal sites. We need to be conscious of the environment that we live in and be careful not to devalue it through our own actions.
“Illegal dumping is impacting negatively on the beauty of the city especially in the central business district. I therefore urge all residents to be good ambassadors of our city by refraining from littering. It takes a collective effort to beautify our city and make it what we would be proud of, “she said.
Recently, the Bulawayo City Council reintroduced the back night time refuse collection as a way of reducing the sprouting of numerous dumpsites around the city, a development that poses the risk of an outbreak of diseases.
Meanwhile, Zanu PF second secretary Kembo Mohadi says the corporate sector and different communities including businesses should adopt areas of cleaning and greening so as to keep Bulawayo free of litter.
He said this on Friday at the national clean-up campaign in Bulawayo’s Nkulumane high density suburb.
“If we can all collectively think around how best these clean up campaigns can be sustained then it can help us achieve a clean city and the nation we all want and we are all proud of. Our government is also appealing to the corporate sector, community and business entities to adopt areas for cleaning and greening, “he said.
Mohadi said there is an increasing number of companies countrywide which have adopted zones to clean.
In September, the council organised a week-long spring-cleaning where it was targeting some of the garbage hot spots.
The council blames the presence of illegal vendors for the dirt in the city but with no alternative vending bays.
The council seems to be losing the battle to the vendors.
