Residents should be environmentally conscious

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BULAWAYO Provincial Affairs minister Eunice Sandi-Moyo said residents should be taught about waste management as a way of ensuring a clean environment.

BULAWAYO Provincial Affairs minister Eunice Sandi-Moyo on Friday said residents should be taught about waste management as a way of ensuring a clean environment. MTHANDAZO NYONI OWN CORRESPONDENT Speaking at an environmental clean-up campaign at Egodini, Sandi-Moyo said the government should introduce waste management programmes in universities and schools for people to learn how to manage the environment.

“To keep Bulawayo clean is very important. People must be taught on how to manage the environment. I, therefore, encourage people to recycle their refuse,” Sandi-Moyo said.

“We should introduce waste management programmes at schools. We need to do that fast because time is not on our side,” she added.

Moyo also encouraged the youths and business community to keep Bulawayo clean.

“It’s our responsibility to keep this city clean. I am grateful that people of Bulawayo really appreciate issues of waste management. This will take us far,” Sandi-Moyo said.

She revealed that the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) would be allocated a portion of money in the national budget.

Bulawayo mayor Martin Moyo, who also attended the clean-up campaign, said vendors, drivers and touts should act as police guards and stand against anyone littering the city.

Moyo said he would ensure that every corner at Egodini has a refuse bin.

EMA Bulawayo provincial manager Decent Ndlovu said they were tired of such campaigns and urged the authorities to start arresting anyone found littering.

“We are tired of coming here doing such campaigns,” Ndlovu said.

“Now it is time to act. We would arrest everyone littering the environment. We encourage drivers to put bins in their cars so that people are able to dispose of their refuse.

“If drivers fail to do that, we will arrest them, including passengers who just litter around. So I encourage drivers not to allow passengers to throw refuse out through vehicle windows,” he added.

According to the EMA Act, littering is a crime that attracts a $20 fine.

The clean-up campaign was attended by residents’ associations, the business community, the professional drivers’ association, students, health members and government officials.