The Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (Bupra) held a clean-up campaign on Wednesday in Bulawayo’s central business district (CBD) as part of its contribution to the city’s hosting of the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games.
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The association mobilised almost 650 residents from across Bulawayo’s 29 wards to participate in the clean-up exercise.
The campaign focused on the Batch Street Bus Terminus, popularly known as Egodini and surrounding areas around Lobengula Street, which are usually heavily littered.
The residents swept and piled the rubbish on designated points for Bulawayo City Council trucks to collect.
They picked up litter and removed grass with shovels.
A truck from the council collected rubbish to a dump site while vendors assisted with the cleaning.
However, there was a shortage of brooms, gloves and shovels, as more people than anticipated turned up.
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Bupra official, Emmanuel Ndlovu, said the aim of the clean-up was to improve cleanliness in Bulawayo ahead of the games, which begin tomorrow.
“The aim of the clean-up is to ensure that the city is kept in a clean state, not only during the games but after as well,” he said.
“This is based on realisation by the association that high levels of littering are due to carelessness and irresponsibility by residents, who throw litter in undesignated areas.
Ndlovu said the campaign was meant to encourage Bulawayo residents to be responsible and to ensure that the city is kept clean during and after the games.
Bupra chairman Reason Ngwenya described the clean-up exercise as a success.
Ngwenya was, however, disheartened by vendors who were littering while the cleaning was going on.
