Volunteers assist in keeping Bulawayo City Centre clean

Residents from Ward One in the City Centre, led, by the neighbourhood Councillor, Edward Manning, recently held a clean-up exercise at the Lobengula Street Pedestrian Mall, an area that doubles as a vending market. In his capacity as a Ward One resident, Field Correspondent Lewis Jones (LJ)  participated in the activities and later managed to speak to the Councillor (EM) about challenges that the Local Authority faces concerning littering in the area.

LJ What has prompted you to organise this particular clean-up campaign?

EM Today, as you may be aware, is celebrated as Nelson Mandela Day and the organisers have encouraged society's leaders throughout the World to mark the occasion with a community responsible activity. In this ward it was decided that a clean-up of the area worst affected by littering would be the most appropriate activity to commemorate this day.

LJ It is apparent that the public has responded well to your appeal for this exercise. How have you been able to achieve this?

EM Mobilisation for this campaign has not been as difficult a task as one might have thought. In the time that I have been a community leader, I have noticed that given the right publicity, people are often willing to join in these types of efforts. However, credit must also go to the Ward`s C.A.T. for the sterling work he did in making residents aware of this event.

LJ In the past several organisations have, in a blaze of publicity, conducted similar exercises as this one and then gone away, leaving the area to revert to its previous condition. What do you and your C.A.T. hope to do in order to lend sustainability to this campaign?

EM The difference with this campaign and the others that you have mentioned is the fact that those organisations always take back the tools used in their exercises. Our tools were donated to us by ZDDT as part of the SEBENZELA Programme. This has given the local community a sense of ownership over the equipment together with the exercises conducted with it. In this way, it seems as if people are more willing to ensure that they maintain a clean environment. As an added measure, the Ward leadership keeps on monitoring the situation and encourages vendors and passers-by in the area to dispose of their litter in a responsible manner.

LJ There seems to be a lack of adequate litter bins in the vicinity. Do you not think that this thwarts efforts to maintain hygienic conditions in the neighbourhood?

EM Because of serious financial challenges, the Local Authority has, over the past years, been unable to maintain an adequate supply of rubbish bins in the City Centre. This has exacerbated the litter problem. In order to overcome the situation, Council is considering examining cheaper alternatives to the customary bins. The corporate sector is also being encouraged to assist in providing bins and cleaning materials.

LJ What would you suggest as a means to the maintaining a clean and safe environment in the City?

EM It is essential, first and foremost, for an extensive advocacy programme to be instituted, in order to educate the populace on the need to maintain a clean environment. Such a programme should be taken to schools, tertiary institutions, youth and women`s clubs, among others. There is also an urgent need for the City Council to enforce by-laws pertaining to littering and illegal dumping. It is my opinion that only when people have been adequately made aware of the consequences of illegal dumping and littering and an effective policing of relevant by-laws are in place, that we will begin to experience a marked improvement in conditions.