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Loveness Bepete Chronicle Reporter
THE Bulawayo City Council has resolved to enlist the help of the police and the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) to arrest the problem of littering in the city.Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo said the move to engage the police and army was meant to conscientise people on illegal litter dumping.
He said council wants soldiers and police to “instruct” anyone seen throwing litter on the streets to pick it up and use bins. The mayor stressed that no one would be arrested.
“Litter dumping is now very rampant. Each and every corner you see someone dropping litter freely. Engaging police and army will probably help keep the city clean,” Clr Moyo said.
He said the local authority was failing to penalise all those who dump litter as the fines were still pegged in the Zimbabwe dollar and had not yet been reviewed. “As soon as we peg the fines in the current multi-currency, we will eventually start penalising all those who fail to adhere to bye-law” he said.
The mayor said when council previously reviewed the fines in line with the multi-currencies in use, the Attorney General’s Office advised them that they had not followed the right procedures.
He said litter collection by the local authority was an unnecessary expense as it can be avoided.
Clr Moyo urged people to be responsible with litter disposal, saying if people stopped dumping litter, there would be no need to employ many people to clean the streets.
“If we all behaved in the correct manner in terms of litter disposal, we wouldn’t employ more people to clean the streets every day,” he said.
During a recent council meeting, the city’s director of health services, Dr Zanele Hwalima, said the local authority was failing to cope with refuse collection due to shortage of vehicles.
She said council was operating with five reliable vehicles instead of at least 25, resulting in residents resorting to illegal dumping.
Online Reporter