Government considers Mandatory National Clean up exercise
By Yvonne Mutambwa
The government has vowed to issue an order under a statutory instrument (SI) to compel all local authorities and agencies to carry out the national clean-up campaign launched by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2018.
In a post-Cabinet briefing yesterday, Information minister Jenfan Muswere said:
“Cabinet highlights that the deplorable state of cleanliness across the country, particularly in urban areas is due to local authorities’ ineptitude and negligence in collecting and managing solid waste disposal.
On its part, central government has made interventions to redress the situation, including introduction of the national clean-up campaign in 2018 and declaration of a state of disaster in Harare Metropolitan province in 2023.
An emergency solid waste management programme is currently being implemented under the state of disaster declaration.”
The national clean-up campaign is held on the first Friday of each month.
That funds collected by local authorities from residents for waste management will be ring-fenced in order to ensure that the authorities do not divert the funds to other uses, with the Environmental Management Agency supervising the usage of the funds;
“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,” Muswere said.
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