Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
GWANDA municipality has moved in to enforce hygiene and cleanliness regulations in the town as part of efforts to attract investment, thereby ensuring development in the mining town.
Mayor Alderman Thulani Moyo said after the first Presidential Clean-up Campaign of the year, which took place in Ward 1, Gwanda Urban, last Friday, the local authority was determined to keep its environment clear and urged stakeholders to play their part.
He appealed to residents to embrace clean environment health principles.
In attendance were security forces, Government departments and residents among other stakeholders.
President Mnangagwa declared the first Friday of every month as the National Clean-Up Day, where citizens are urged to take part in cleaning their environment.
“As we start a new year, let’s adopt a culture of cleanliness and ownership of the state of our environment as this has a significant impact on our well-being and livelihoods,” he said.
“If our environment isn’t clean, then this will lead to diseases and if people are ill, then this affects productivity.
“If our town is dirty, then we can lose out on investment opportunities. His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said ‘ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo’ and as we start this year, let’s build our town through cleanliness. Desist from littering, and let’s adopt waste management for a better outcome. This way we will be building our community,” said Ald Moyo.
He called upon stakeholders from the town to religiously participate in the clean-up campaign, which is an initiative of President Mnangagwa.
Ald Moyo expressed concern over rampant littering in the streets, while some people practice open defecation. This is despite efforts being made by the council, working with stakeholders, to ensure people dispose of waste properly.
“We have by-laws as council that speak to littering, cleanliness and hygiene. We will be enforcing these regulations, working with other relevant authorities, to ensure that people abide by them.
“There are also other regulations outside the jurisdiction of the council and they have to be observed,” said Ald Moyo.
“We expect people to act responsibly as individuals to play towards ensuring cleanliness and promoting hygiene in our town. Our town is the provincial capital and we’re situated along the route to Beitbridge Border, which is one of the country’s major entry points. It’s crucial for the town to be presentable as this is crucial for investment.”
Gwanda Municipality Town Clerk, Ms Priscillah Nkala, urged residents to maintain cleanliness around business surroundings. She raised a concern over littering in shopping centres, some which were preparing and selling food.
Ms Nkala urged members of the business community to also take charge of keeping their places of operation clean.
She urged business owners to ensure that their premises have bins and that business owners maintain hygiene and cleanliness in their premises.
-@DubeMatutu
