adminIn an interview yesterday, the town secretary, Dr Sipho Singo, said the on-going exercise was in line with the council’s clean up campaign for the town.
“We are working on several projects to uplift the face of our town taking into cognisance that we are a border town, which is the shop window of the country. The programme includes the greening of our the town and right now we are planting trees from the border post right up to Masvingo turn-off so that we regenerate the face of Beitbridge and attract more tourists,” he said.
“Beitbridge is the face of the country hence it should reflect the beauty of the country.”
Dr Singo said they have since planted grass along the road leading to the border post.
“Our objective is to green the entire highway leading to the border post and we are using budgeted funds. We also cleared bushes where a number of people, especially unsuspecting travellers continued to fall prey to muggers,” he said.
The council has also acquired litter bins, which have since been placed at strategic points around the border town.
The bins have been mounted at places such as the border post, Dulibadzimu Bus Terminus, local shopping centres and along the main highways.
“As council our aim is to ensure that our environment is kept clean, particularly in light of an influx of visitors and travellers who pass through our town to and from South Africa. We also urge our travellers and local residents to utilise these facilities,” said Dr Singo.
The council also constructed several central waste collection points in an effort to reduce illegal litter dumping at undesignated areas.
Dr Singo urged residents to utilise the facilities, which have been situated at strategic areas of Dulibadzimu suburb from which council collects the garbage three times a week.
In an effort to decongest the border area, the local authority has also constructed a truck port where heavy duty trucks park while awaiting customs clearance at the border.
Dr Singo said the local authority would soon embark on the second phase of rehabilitating roads in Dulibadzimu suburb.
He said the second phase of the programme would involve the tarring of the 2,7km stretch of the Mashavire-Shule-Shule road at a cost of $600 000.
“We have put funds aside for the rehabilitation of our major roads and very soon we intend to embark on the second phase of tarring the Mashavire-Shule Shule road in line with our thrust to improve the face of the town,” he said.
Dr Singo said in the next phase they would embark on the tarring of the Shule Shule-Dulibadzimu bus terminus stretch.
“We also want to do the Shule-Shule–bus terminus road so that the entire high density suburb is completely encircled. As council we have noted that most of our roads are inaccessible hence the need to develop an infrastructure that will enhance accessibility and that will also see us re-gravelling others roads in Dulibadzimu as well as tarring major roads in the medium density area,” he said.
Dr Singo said some of the funds would be sourced from the Zimbabwe National Roads Authority (Zinara).
Most of the roads are in a bad state and local authority needs at least $1,5 million to complete the tarring of major roads linking the main residential areas and the town centre.
Online Reporter