Adopt sections of the city — Minister Ncube urges corporates

Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter

THE Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution in Bulawayo, Judith Ncube, has challenged corporates and businesspeople to adopt sections of the city to maintain in collaboration with the city council to ensure that the city is kept clean and repairs are done expeditiously.

Speaking to Sunday News on the sprucing of the city ahead of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) later this month, Minister Ncube said a culture of cleanliness has to be maintained at all times and not ahead of events only as it aids in attracting investment.

She said for that to happen, there was a need for the business community and the general public to play ball and take ownership and responsibility for the areas that they operate from.

“ZITF is around the corner, it is an international event and we will have visitors. I would like to urge residents of Bulawayo and Zimbabwe to market Bulawayo Province and its culture, the culture of caring, and the culture of Ubuntu so that visitors crave to come to the city for this trade showcase. We have various gifted creatives who are from Bulawayo, let us allow them to market our province and allow them to market the country through arts, sports, and music,” she said.

The minister said the corporate world was vital in the development of the city and should also assist in ensuring the environs were kept clean.

“I am appealing to the corporate world and businesspeople in the CBD to adopt streets, we would be grateful as a city if they do this so that we know that certain streets are kept clean by certain businesses operating along that area. If they wish they can employ people who keep it clean or they do it themselves so that these areas around their businesses are always clean and user-friendly. 

 

“If roads or pavements in front of their businesses need to be patched they liaise with the city council and assist them in ensuring that they are attended to but also providing a token towards the repairs. 

“We want to avoid situations where potholes grow deep and wide in front of the premises with no one attending to them, it should not be like that. Let us join hands and make the city clean and safe again. I am just throwing these suggestions and making this special request to our business community,” she pleaded.

Minister Ncube said Bulawayo was once celebrated as one of the cleanest cities in the region and must regain its former glory if the community and city council join hands.

“We have been appealing to all stakeholders to make sure we go back and take pride in the culture of cleanliness, let us go back to those days of being a smart city, we need to go back to our way of doing things. Where did we go wrong as a city? Let us identify the cause of our challenges and address them. We need to put Bulawayo back on the world roadmap of being clean and take pride in that. Where you live, sell from, or walk past, must be a clean place, simple things like picking up litter in our surroundings make a difference. Those who are trading within the city must also ensure the square meter they sell from is litter-free, eventually, the whole city will be clean if we put all litter in bins,” she said.

Minister Ncube pleaded with the business community and individuals to donate more litter bins to the city so that residents do not throw litter on the pavement.

“If there are many places where people can put their litter then definitely we will have a cleaner city, traders and vendors in the city centre must also make use of refuse bags in their areas until adequate bins are available so that there is no temptation to throw litter around the areas they vend from. I am pleading with Bulawayo residents to practice cleanliness wherever we are,” she said.

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) secretary for administration Mr Thembelani Dube said a clean environment should be maintained at all times in the city and not do it for visitors and in certain strategic areas.

“We have noted with concern the active work done by the Bulawayo City Council towards ZITF in the city. There are road markings, repairs to traffic lights and some patching of potholes only when there is an event like this one. 

“The repairs are also done in certain areas that are strategic to those who will be accessing ZITF. We would like to see repairs and developments being done throughout the year so that our city is always presentable rather than have a piecemeal approach that we are currently witnessing,” said Mr Dube.

He said the city should be maintained in its entirety rather than have certain areas cleaned to portray a glorious picture when the rest of the city’s infrastructure continues to deteriorate.

Social commentator Mr Reginald Shoko said clean cities guarantee public health.

“City cleaning is vital for maintaining public health and a pleasant environment. It should be a continuous process rather than done selectively at certain times. Regular cleaning helps prevent the accumulation of waste, reduces pollution, and minimises health risks. By consistently keeping streets, parks, and public spaces clean, Bulawayo City  Council can enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors alike. Implementing ongoing cleaning practices ensures that  the city remains an attractive, safe and sustainable place to live in,” said Mr Shoko. – @NyembeziMu