Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
CONCERN has been raised about the amount of dirt due to littering at Kazungula Border Post on the boundary with Botswana.
Kazungula is one of the busiest ports of entry connecting Zimbabwe to the region via Botswana.
Litter bugs have been dumping rubbish everywhere around the border post which has become an eyesore both on the environmental and tourism side.
Hwange Rural District Council (HRDC) in whose jurisdiction the port is located, and the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) mobilised various stakeholders to clean the area and spruce up its image and give a good impression of the country.
Those who participated were from EMA; HRDC; Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority; Zimbabwe National Army; police; Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Department of Immigration, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, port health, veterinary services and plant quarantine, clearing agents and informal businesses operating at the border.
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, Matetsi River Hotel, Bush Tracks and Shearwater Adventures were some of the tourism industry players that took part in the clean-up.
They picked litter around the border post and parking area where trucks are parked while waiting to be cleared.
The majority of litter was plastic paper, soft drink and beer bottles, kaylites, cans and pieces of cloth.
Some of the litter shows that it had accumulated over a long time.
Most plastic bottles had urine inside raising concerns about levels of lack of hygiene at the border where people, suspected to be truck drivers and clearing agents, allegedly urinate into bottles and throw them on the ground.
There are restaurants that cook and serve meals nearby.
Some broken down vehicles are also a common feature on the roadside near the entry and exit gate.
EMA Hwange District Officer Mr Nothani Ndlovu implored all departments operating at the check point to adopt a culture of cleaning their surroundings and establish litter transfer stations.
“Many people who pass by this place have complained about the amount of litter.
We need to engage each other, it’s not EMA’s duty to clean around, but every one of us.
Burning waste is not allowed and we should set transfer stations, the local authority and concessions should help establish this where you can keep litter,” he said.
HRDC Campfire manager Mr Xolelani Ncube said Victoria Falls and its environs should be kept in a pristine state to preserve its naturalness.
“Let’s make it a habit to keep this environment clean. Let’s remember we are within the Kaza (Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area) landscape where countries have certain responsibilities that they are obliged to abide by.
One such responsibility is intensive waste management where it is a duty of each and every person to collectively participate in waste management, so we are here playing our part so that our animals don’t migrate because of environmental degradation.
Wildlife is the key driver of our tourism hence we need to make sure that our environment is very clean,” he said.
Green Shango Environment Trust director Mr Daniel Sithole said there are several cases of animals that have died as a result of eating plastic that is not digestible.
He implored every citizen to be a “brigade of the environment.”
Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe chairman for Matabeleland North Mr Anald Musonza, who was guest of honour, said there must be a culture of cleanliness at the border.
“For us in this part of the country our economy depends on the environment and the environment is not only about animals, all the things we do are part of the environment so your contribution by coming here is important. It should be a culture as encouraged by the President that we clean our businesses,” said Mr Musonza.
“Some might think that it should be for the people who work here, but you may need to know that this is the entry point for the whole country.
So, if we do not do what we did today the image we are giving to all tourists that come to our country is a country that is disorganised,”
— @ncubeleon
Online Reporter