Online Reporter
Diana Nherera
Acting Harare mayor Councillor Womberaiishe Nhende says the city is faced with a serious littering problem, which the local authority cannot deal with alone.
Speaking at the donation of 40 litter bins by Upper Manyame Sub-Catchment Council at the Town House on Thursday, Cllr Nhende said City of Harare workers who work in the CBD are burdened with dealing with litter every day because people sometimes complain that there are no bins to place litter.
“This goes a long way to confirm the commitment of our stakeholders. It goes a long way in dealing with the challenges we are facing as a city,” he said.
Cllr Nhende said the City of Harare alone does not have the capacity to deal with the waste crisis in the capital but will work with partners and stakeholders to make the city liveable in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on clean cities.
He thanked Upper Manyame Sub-Catchment Council for their efforts.
“Our target is 1 000 but if we have collaborative efforts from everyone who operates in the city, we will be able to reach this target in no time,” he said.
Cllr Nhende said it is the duty of council workers to keep the bins safe and empty them whenever necessary.
Upper Manyame Sub-Catchment Council acting chief executive officer, Mrs Constance Matsaira said the donation is not merely a handover of equipment but a tangible expression of her organisation’s commitment to environmental stewardship and inter-institutional cooperation.
“These bins represent our shared responsibility to safeguard our water sources by addressing one of the most pressing challenges facing urban centres, waste management,” she said.
Mrs Matsaira said her council is acutely aware of the environmental pressures and challenges that threaten the ecosystem, from illegal dumping to pollution of water bodies.
“These issues are not isolated; they are actually interconnected and demand a unified response,” she said.
“We commend the City of Harare for its tireless efforts in managing waste and delivering essential services to residents. We recognise the constraints that you face and we stand beside you, not as critics but as collaborators.
“Our donation today is a symbol of solidarity and gesture that says we are in this together. By joining forces, we can make meaningful strides towards our national vision of a clean, middle-income economy by 2030.
“We can also advance the global agenda, particularly SDG6, which calls for universal access to safely manage water and sanitation. These goals are ambitious but achievable if we work hand in hand.”
Upper Manyame Sub-Catchment Council board member Mrs Progress Tumbo said the bins represent a tangible step towards cultivating a culture of environmental consciousness and water stewardship in communities.
“Through our stakeholder engagement, we aim to inspire, equip individuals and local leaders to take ownership of the surroundings,” she said.
Mrs Tumbo said the donation is part of a broader initiative that has already seen Upper Manyame Sub-Catchment Council provide bins to other local authorities including Epworth, Ruwa and Norton.
“These efforts have not only improved cleanliness but have sparked important conversations around environmental responsibility and civic pride,” she said.
