The Sunday News
Tendai Rupapa, Harare Bureau
RECYCLING is key to reducing material sent to landfills, the cost of waste management and energy used to manufacture new products from virgin raw materials, environmental patron First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa has said.
The First Lady, who is also Zanu-PF Secretary for Environment in the Politburo, said recycling saves the environment from degradation.
She made the remarks at the graduation ceremony of hundreds of people in Harare who had undergone waste management training. The event coincided with the national clean-up day, held every first Friday of the month.
People load litter bins into a refuse collection truck during a clean up campaign with Environment and Tourism patron First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa in Harare
President Mnangagwa designated every first Friday of the month National Clean-Up Day to foster cleanliness and onboard citizens’ participation in environmental management.
Proceedings started with the First Lady joining thousands of people in picking up litter along Herbert Chitepo and Samora Machel avenues, and Abdel Gamal Nasser Road into the Harare Polytechnic.
The litter included containers of highly potent illicit brews that are being consumed mostly by youths in and around the capital, resulting in unprecedented social challenges.
This comes as the First Lady is leading from the front in fighting drug abuse across all corners of the country.
The First Lady applauded all the graduands for participating in the clean-up and the training course.
This month’s clean-up campaign was held under the theme “Plastic-free month. Say no to plastic”.
The theme, she said, calls for collective efforts to deal with plastic pollution through resisting single-use plastics and opting for environmentally friendly alternatives such as paper and other plant-based packaging material.
First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa joined members of the Apostolic sect in singing peace songs during a clean up campaign in Harare
“Plastic pollution is not only confined to our country, but it is also a global issue. July is always a plastic-free month as part of the global initiative to encourage individuals to become more aware of just how much single-use plastic they are using and how they can reduce its usage and increase recycling.
“Ladies and gentlemen, waste management has become a national environmental challenge for some time now and Harare province, in general, has not been spared from this menace. We have allowed waste to accumulate at undesignated places and this has negative implications on the environment and the public. Such implications include health hazards, impacts on climate change, air quality and loss of aesthetic value of our beautiful environment,” she said.
As patron of the environment and Secretary for Environment in the ZANU PF Politburo, Dr Mnangagwa said ensuring that people live in a clean environment was close to her heart.
“It is everyone’s duty to partner with the Government and other stakeholders and collectively we will keep our environment clean and prevent associated pollution. We all need to be responsible citizens and maintain sustainable waste management practices wherever possible.
“Recycling is good for the environment in the sense that we are using old and waste products that are of no use and then converting them back to new products. Since we are serving resources and are sending less trash to landfills, it helps in reducing air and water pollution. Energy saving is important if we are to reduce the future effects of global warming,” she said to applause.
Dr Mnangagwa said her office worked with the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry through the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) to roll out the training programme to capacitate grassroots communities on waste management, including adopting the reuse, recover and recycle model as a business.
Environment and Tourism patron First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa hands over a certificate to one of the beneficiaries of her training initiative in waste management
Dr Mnangagwa said she wanted all graduands to be recognised through registering with their local authority and EMA.
“This is meant to bring on board accountability and traceability necessary for monitoring continuity of your efforts and afford you access to necessary technical backup and funding mechanisms. Ladies and gentlemen, today’s event is not just about celebrating the training but it’s a continuation of the training. We have invited those in business so that you learn from them and establish market linkages.
“I know you already have an idea of what you are going to sell, but the next question is who your business is going to sell to. The recyclers exhibiting today are the big sisters and brothers to establish strategic business links with. Before you leave this place today, make sure you have cemented a formidable partnership to kick-start and take your recycling business forward,” she said.
She urged the recyclers and EMA to support the graduands, adding that, as patron of the environment, she was available to walk with them towards prosperity in a clean, safe and healthy environment.
In a speech read on his behalf by Mr Edward Samuriwo, Environment Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said a waste survey conducted recently by UN Habitat, in partnership with City of Harare and EMA, concluded that 373 tonnes of recyclable material from households was generated per day.
Minister Ndlovu said it was, however, unfortunate that the city recovery rate was only 5 percent per day.
“Harare Metropolitan province is now the hub for recycling, Amai. People are coming from as far as Gwanda, Bulawayo, Mutare and Kariba to sell their recyclable material to recyclers. HDPE, PP, LDPE, PET, cardboard boxes and cans are the most sought-after waste streams by recyclers.
“It is, therefore, against such a background that this training was rolled out to capacitate grassroots communities in every district on proper waste management and to offer opportunities that are available in the recycling sector such as green jobs. Training in every district of the country dovetails with our national motto of leaving no one and no place behind,” said the minister.
He said Zimbabwe was developing a recycling policy to guide the growth of the sector in tandem with the scale of generation of recyclables in the country.
“To that end, a recyclers forum was recently held in Harare to discuss the roadmap towards growing the sector and to establish a steering committee to work on drafting the national recyclers policy and position paper on incentives to be proposed to Government. This paper is anticipated to proffer possible incentives that could be in the area of taxes, subsidies, reduced permit requirements and costs so as to make recycling a cheaper option compared to use of virgin material.
“The Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry — through EMA — is also developing a statutory instrument on waste segregation at source to guide on waste storage before disposal to avoid spoilage, as well as enable easy collection and recovery.”
Minister Ndlovu said institutions were encouraged to submit their waste management plans to EMA, which can guide on how they can contribute to the growing recycling industry and subsequently attain the desired goal of a clean, safe and healthy environment.
“Stop polluting Zimbabwe; recycle, recreate, reuse.”
In a speech read on his behalf by a representative, Permanent Secretary for Harare Metropolitan province Mr Tafadzwa Muguti praised the First Lady for her interventions.
“As Harare Metropolitan province, we want to acknowledge your support in advocating communities to venture into waste separation at source and sell to recyclers. This unwavering support is evidenced by the programme you initiated of training communities in recycling as a business. I would also like to acknowledge all our stakeholders here who came out to support this occasion. Amai, the recycling training programme has yielded results; there has been an increase in interest in Harare, with more and more communities and business entities starting recycling initiatives. They all want to make a difference in the environment they reside or work in.
“Furthermore, there has been an uptick in corporates and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) funding the establishment of waste transfer centres that enable communities to sell recyclable material and make a living out of it. Recycling is the cornerstone of the circular economy and should, therefore, be promoted in all the urban areas, in line with the National Development Strategy 1. Ladies and gentlemen, July is plastic-free month. The recycling sector is the panacea to the reduction in the accumulation of residual plastic waste in the environment. Focusing on plastic, which is the main pollutant of concern, presents a perfect opportunity to bring together all sectors, including generators, users, waste collectors and all support systems towards a common consensus,” he said.
Iyasa drama and dance group providing edutainment on the importance of waste management during the graduation of those trained in waste recycling which was initiated by Environment and Tourism patron First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa in Harare
A practising recycler, Mr Ronny Mbaisa, chronicled his journey and shared details of his personal achievements with the gathering.
He leads the Zimbabwe Sunshine Group.
“We are a group that operates from Tafara, which was taught by EMA that there is money in litter. What gratifies me is that when we started around 2014 and 2015, most people thought it was a fluke. We were being led by EMA in the initial stages until we were able to stand on our own as we were now making money.
“In 2017, we sold a lot of litter and I managed to buy my first car. Through dedication, we procured trucks for our organisation. We are not operating from Harare alone, but we also have stations in Gwanda, Chipinge and Mutare. Here in Harare, we have transfer stations in Tafara, Highfield and the Harare Showground. Those empty maheu containers that we pick earn us between 50 and 60 cents per kilogramme. After adding value, we sell them for between US$1,20 and US$1,50 per kilogramme. This means a tonne sells for US$1 200. So, per week, we get over a tonne,” he said.
Evangelist Nelly Gwatidzo said it was prudent to walk with the First Lady in her efforts to promote recycling across the country.
She said the First Lady wanted communities to realise that litter can be recycled and used in making something useful.
She added that recycling programmes will benefit people who were looked down upon in communities.
The evangelist likened the First Lady to a hen that covers her brood.
Mrs Christine Mhuka thanked the First Lady for the recycling programme, which she said would give the city a good image.
Environment and Tourism patron First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa hands over a certificate to one of the beneficiaries of her training initiative in waste management in Harare
“The recycling programme is paying dividends as the litter that presented a bad picture about our city is being removed. This is a very good thing that she is doing and we wish she continues on that trajectory,” she said.
Similar efforts were echoed by Mr Thomas Bundu, who said the recycling programme had helped eliminate idleness, which gave rise to prostitution, drug abuse, domestic violence and marriage breakdowns.
“She is beating four birds with one stone. We need to embrace our mother’s training programme, which is creating employment for our people and ending idleness, which is ruinous and bad for the nation. This is commendable and I will never let her down. I will put this training to good use,” he said.
Mrs Miriam Mutungamiri, who sang and danced in appreciation of the First Lady, said: “Were it not for our mother, I do not know how I would have managed to put food on the table and send my children to school. My husband died a long time ago and he left the family with virtually nothing and we were really struggling to make ends meet. I then joined this crusade of picking up recyclable materials and that helped me feed and clothe my children, as well as send them to school.”
Mr Barnabus Chirombo said: “There is real money in litter. All you need is to organise yourselves into groups and pick up the litter on a large scale and you will never complain. This recycling business and the training that has been offered by our mother ensures that we keep moving forward, with no regrets at all. Long live our First Lady because she is a real visionary, who does not leave any place the same as she found it.”
The First Lady donated 30 tonnes of maize meal to the community.
Iyasa provided edutainment on recycling and on the effects of drug abuse.
Musician Dereck Mpofu also entertained the gathering.
