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Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
Government will next year launch the second phase of the National Clean-Up Campaign focusing on health when the current phase ends in December. This was said by President Mnangagwa at Showgrounds in Domboshava yesterday when he took part in the monthly clean up.
He was accompanied by Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Priscah Mupfumira, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joel Biggie Matiza, Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs Minister Appolonia Munzverengi, President of the Senate Marble Chinomona and several legislators from the province.
“We are here under phase one of the programme that will last until the end of the year and we will launch the second focusing on health, but we will give you more information on that phase later.
“This phase is meant for us to make sure that we are always smart, be it in our environment or as individuals,” President Mnangagwa said.
Government launched the monthly clean-ups on December 5 last year to engender a sense of cleanliness, healthy environments and personal hygiene.
“Wherever we come from, be it urban areas, business centres, rural areas, farms, as long as it is in Zimbabwe and you are a Zimbabwean, even if you are not Zimbabwean but a resident here, we should all agree that the areas where we stay and homes we reside in must be clean.
“Even our cooking utensils should always be clean so that pests do not breed.
“The business community should also plough back into maintaining clean environments. Vendors should also ensure that they maintain their working environments clean,” he said
President Mnangagwa, who was in Rwanda on Thursday, said Zimbabwe should take a cue from Rwanda in upholding clean environments.
“ . . . it’s a very clean and smart country. They do not throw litter anywhere whether one is young or old. They have agreed as a nation that they want a clean and healthy environment,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said Rwandans were united following the genocide that took place 25 years ago, and urged Zimbabweans to emulate them.
He acknowledged concerns raised by the leadership in the district that food shortages were being experienced due to last season’s poor harvests caused by the drought.
“The issue of food shortages that you have mentioned is one we are prioritising as Government because of the drought we experienced.
“We don’t want to hear that there’s an individual who has died from hunger. We have institutions and Government departments that should identify needy families.
“We have the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare led by Minister Sekai Nzenza and we have the traditional leadership, the chiefs and headmen and we have councillors under the Ministry of Local Government.
“We also have the leadership of Zanu-PF at various levels, so all these institutions should identify those who are in need of food,” he said.
The President also said Government will initiate a supplementary feeding exercise for primary school children in areas hardest hit by drought.
Government has already initiated plans to import 800 000 tonnes of maize to cover the gap caused by this year’s low harvests.
Online Reporter