Matabeleland North launches Road Highway Clean-Up Campaign to enhance clean and healthy environment

THE Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Matabeleland North province Cde Richard Moyo yesterday launched a road highway clean-up campaign in an accelerated bid to bolster national efforts to attain a clean and healthy environment.

The launch was held at Ticehurst business centre on Friday in Umguza district, Matabeleland North province and was held under the theme “Litter Free Road Servitudes – Our Responsibility”, while the motto read “Stretch it out for Mat North.”

President Mnangagwa launched the national clean-up programme in December 2018 based on moral persuasion urging all citizens to clean their environment between 8 am and 10 am on the first Friday of every month.

“An analysis of the programme revealed that some milestones have been achieved. However despite the significant achievements, the province has noted with great concern that the road servitudes have remained an eyesore as they are characterised by heavy littering, dumping and unemptied dustbins. This is denying our claim of being the renowned tourism destination we are known for,” said Cde Moyo.

He said the status of road highways calls for a holistic approach in launching a programme that will create litter-free servitudes and be able to sustain the cleanliness and where possible improve the aesthetic outlook of selected portions of the province’s highways.

Cde Moyo said his ministry in partnership with the business community has developed three categories of implementing the plans.

“…namely immediate, medium and long term plans. The immediate plan entails zoning of the highway into various stretches and assigning stakeholders to clean the respective zones,” said Cde Moyo.

He said the main stakeholders are food and beverage producers, as well as schools close to highways.

“They are being encouraged to embrace the extended producer responsibility where they follow through the life cycle of their products to disposal stages,” said Cde Moyo.

He said the medium plan entailed the scaling up of waste recovery and recycling initiatives. Cde Moyo thus challenged universities and colleges to conduct research on recycling to develop science-based solutions to the various waste streams being produced in the province and the country at large.

“The thrust of the programme is to create a sustainably clean roadway system across Matabeleland North province. The long-term strategy will focus on the high-impact projects. It is a known fact that the Bulawayo to Victoria Falls highway lacks adequate ablution facilities and attraction spots. The lack of ablution facilities has contributed greatly to open defecation and littering of known spots along the highway,” said Cde Moyo.

He said such areas should be leased out to entrepreneurial youths, who with guidance can clean up the hotspots and be allowed to construct eco-friendly pay-flush toilets.

“Let me take this opportunity to warn those who have a habit of throwing litter through the windows of moving vehicles. This kind of behaviour is not only irresponsible but is against the national aspirations of a clean and safe environment. Throwing litter through the windows of moving vehicles is a punishable offence. Public transport operators should have litter bins in their vehicles for use by passengers,” said Cde Moyo.

He urged the private sector and corporates in the province to partner with the local authorities in ensuring the highways are placed at lay-byes and other strategic positions along the highways.

Last year Environment, Climate and Wildlife Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu said parliament was working on a Statutory Instrument to make the national clean-up programme compulsory for State entities and all businesses including vendors.

“First, is that a Statutory Instrument being promulgated to make National Clean-up Programme compulsory for Government ministries, departments and agencies, local authorities, the business sector, vendors, retailers and manufacturers. Second, that local authorities should localise this Statutory Instrument by promulgating relevant by-laws.

“Third, that fines collected by local authorities from residents with respect to waste management be ring-fenced in order to ensure that these authorities do not divert the funds to other uses and the Environmental Management Agency will be supervising the use of these funds. Fourth is that deterrent fines for public littering will be introduced and enforced and repeat offenders charged with no option of a fine but given mandatory community service.”

The fifth measure will compel road and rail authorities to ensure that road and rail servitudes are litter-free and to undertake regular clean-ups along servitudes and at lay-bys.

Public transport vehicles that dump waste along roads would be fined up to level 8 with respect to transport operator or owner also being liable while political parties would be required to mobilise their supporters to remove their campaign materials from the environment and that it is properly disposed of with the assistance of local authorities.

Minister Ndlovu said streets in most urban areas were infested with all kinds of waste including glass bottles, paper, plastic, light bulbs, diapers and medicinal waste while illegal dumps have become the norm and, in some cases, they sit right in the middle of the road in high-density areas.