The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
FACED with mounting pressure on the city’s environmental status, the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) with hold a massive cleanup campaign targeting litter hotspots in the Central Business District from tomorrow to Friday.
Over the past few months the local authority has been in the eye of the storm as litter continues to the order of the day in the CBD.
As part of means to address the environmental catastrophe, the local authority suspended its health services director, Dr Edwin Sibanda under whose portfolio the city’s environmental issues fall under.
The city’s Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube, has announced that, together with the office of the Bulawayo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry and the Environmental Management Agency they will be embarking on a massive cleanup programme to restore a clean Bulawayo.
“The city of Bulawayo is renowned for its cleanliness however, of late illegal dumps and litter are a common sight. The City in partnership with the office of the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry and the Environmental Management Agency will be embarking on a programme to restore a clean Bulawayo.
“To this end, a Clean-Up Campaign has been planned from Wednesday, 18 January 2023 to Friday, 20 January 2023 from 2pm to 6pm daily focusing on the Central Business District. The aim is to reduce the risk of waste-related disease outbreaks that can affect all areas in the city due to the centrality of the CBD,” reads a notice to councillors from Mr Dube.
The Town Clerk acknowledged that there was a urgent need for waste to be cleared in the city as this could have a number of resultant effects.
“This can be further worsened should rains come before the waste has been cleared as the waste will be washed into storm drains and blocked storm drains give rise to flash flooding and increase breeding of mosquitoes and spread of disease,” said Mr Dube.
