BCC tackles dirt in the city

BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) has started cleaning up sanitary lanes in the city centre as it moves to reverse general decay in a bid to regain lost glory as the country's cleanest city.

The sanitary lanes which are designed to provide leeway for service vehicles, such as delivery and garbage collection trucks, had become an eyesore, blighting the city's image.

The homeless are also taking advantage of the sanitary lanes that are not closed off to the public in the city centre to relieve themselves there. The lanes are also being abused by street kids who burn garbage and use them as toilets and sleeping areas.

Prior to the lockdown, prostitution and drug trade were some of the anti-social activities which took place in sanitary lanes.
Vendors who are illegally operating in the city centre have also been blamed for most of the littering in the city.

Some of them hide their wares in storm drains and this is contributing to waterlogging in the city centre.

To tackle the deteriorating situation, council has also decided to flex its muscles and use its regulatory powers to deal with litter bugs.

BCC wants to fine litter bugs and is lobbying Government to make anti-littering fines more deterrent.

The council has said before it gets hard on litter bugs it wants to lead by example, hence its clean-up campaign which was launched on Monday.

The local authority this week started cleaning up the city centre and has introduced skip bins in populated areas such as along 5th Avenue, Renkini Bus Terminus and areas near Egodini Bus Terminus.

The clean-up campaign is running under the theme: "iBulawayo ehlanzekileyo ayibuye," as the city wants to claim its former glory of being one of the cleanest cities in Africa.

Council has also brought in community garbage truckers to pick up litter in the city centre.

Speaking during an intensified sanitary lane clean-up campaign yesterday, Bulawayo deputy mayor Councillor

Mlandu Ncube said vandalism of bins was a challenge in council's efforts to ensure a clean city.

He said council will be tough on vandals as the city has set itself a target of restoring its glorious past.

"We did a tour around the CBD and the sight of garbage blocking sanitary lanes gave us a push to embark on this clean up and we hope that this will be the beginning of a journey towards restoring the sanity of our city. And after this we will forcefully implement the issue of fines against all those who continue to throw litter around," he said.

The participation of the private sector and residents is a determining factor in the success of the clean-up initiative.
Industry and Commerce Deputy Minister Raj Modi has since partnered council in the clean-up of the sanitary lanes through providing vehicles to do the job.

Deputy Minister Modi, who is also a local businessman, said enterprises  flourish in a clean environment, hence the business

sector should join the anti-littering campaign.

"As a business person, what I am doing is just ploughing back to the society that promotes my existence through a clean-up that will ensure that we operate in an environment that does not jeopardise our health as a community," said Deputy Minister Modi.

"I would also like to call upon my fellow business persons to take good care of the environment around them and be their own policy enforcers to make sure that no one comes and dumps litter near their premises."

He said it was worrying that soon after cleaning up an area, some residents continue throwing litter.

Residents have also blamed council for promoting littering through delaying collecting garbage both in residential areas and the city centre.