The national clean-up campaign has made significant impact
towards fostering a culture of cleanliness among citizens, the President has
said. He made the remarks during a clean-up exercise, which was attended by
hundreds of people at Mupandawana Town
yesterday.
This was the first time the programme was undertaken in a
rural area, where the President led the cleaning of Mupandawana Bus Terminus
amid ululation from the people.
Speaking after the 2-hour long clean-up, the President
commended strides made so far in inculcating a culture of cleanliness. He said
the fight against littering should start at household level.
“We hope that the clean-up exercise will become a daily
habit and I am very happy that Samora Machel Avenue in Harare is now very clean
and people have even planted flowers, something that started after we initiated
the clean-up campaign.
“Even visitors who come to the city will commend Samora
Machel Avenue and say ‘what a clean city this is’ and that is what we want,”
said the President.
Taking the clean-up to rural areas, said President
Mnangagwa, demonstrated seriousness in the fight against litter.
About 65 percent of Zimbabweans live in rural areas, hence
the decision to move there. The
President said the Second Republic valued cleanliness as evidenced by top
Government officials who led the clean-up in various parts of the country.
He challenged both rural and urban local authorities to
develop waste management policies to tame the scourge of littering.
“In rural areas in particular, putting in place a waste
management policy is very important because every single day there is a family
that throws away litter,” he said.
The President urged leaders, from village heads and chiefs,
to encourage cleanliness, starting with homes.
“I will, in future, be making unannounced visits to homes
countrywide to check on hygiene standards there. I don’t want to find a home
with cockroaches.
“A home that has cockroaches shows that people staying there
are not tidy; they don’t clean their homes and wash their utensils. Smartness
should start in the home,” said President Mnangagwa.
He commended the Mupandawana community for keeping their
area clean. The President went down memory lane and narrated the challenges
encountered during the liberation war when fighters rarely washed their
clothes, forcing some of them to burn them to control lice.
President Mnangagwa advised people to drink water from
clean sources or treat it before drinking. Public transport operators were
challenged to have litter bins in their vehicles to prevent the indiscriminate
littering.
He further called upon people to plant fruit trees at their
homes and have vegetable gardens for healthy living.
Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality
Industry Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu commended President Mnangagwa for
conceiving the clean-up campaigns.
He said the President’s decision to lead from the front
demonstrated servant leadership, and called on everyone to heed the cleanliness
drive.
Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Ezra Chadzamira said
the province was ahead in implementing the clean-up campaign, with many
prominent institutions adopting streets and places, which they keep clean.
Cabinet ministers Owen Ncube (State Security), Professor
Amon Murwira (Higher and Tertiary Education), Dr Obadiah Moyo (Health and Child
Care) and Zanu PF politburo members Cdes Sydney Sekeramayi, Mike Bimha, Josaya
Hungwe, Engelbert Rugeje and Lovemore Matuke, traditional leader Chief Gutu,
joined the President during the clean-up.
Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa commissioned a $5 million
project to upgrade and modernise Gutu Rural Hospital in Mupandawana Town.
The development is expected to improve the health delivery
system in line with the Government’s Vision 2030 of an upper middle income
society.
The project, which saw the equipping and upgrading of a
laundry wing and mortuary at Gutu Rural Hospital, together with the launch of
an albino assistance scheme, is part of long-term plans to transform the health
institution into a district hospital.
Construction of a maternity wing is underway, with
commissioning of the facility set for October this year.
One of the country’s leading platinum miners, Zimplats,
financed the mortuary, laundry and albino assistance projects as part of its
social responsibility programme.
The new mortuary has capacity to carry six bodies. It was fitted with new equipment, while the laundry wing
now has two washing machines and an ironing room, fitted with all the requisite
materials.
Zimplats donated 500 bottles of sun screen and lip balm
together with 50 hats for those living with albinism.
The company further pledged to provide monthly rations for
those that register at the hospital.
Gutu Network Development, founded by sons and daughters
from the district, is financing the construction of the maternity wing.
There is no Government-run district hospital in the area
with all referral cases being handled at Gutu Mission, which is run by the
Reformed Church in Zimbabwe.
Speaking after commissioning the projects, President
Mnangagwa said the development dovetailed with his administration’s thrust to
promote cleanliness.
He praised the projects at Gutu Rural Hospital, which he
said bore testimony to the success of public private partnerships.
The President commended Zimplats for its gesture, and
challenged the platinum miner to replicate the programme across the country.
“The duty to provide everything that has been done here is
f Government’s. It is our duty, yes, but we want to congratulate those who have
come forward and rendered assistance,” he said.
“I want to urge you (Zimplats) to extend this hand to other
provinces in the country. You must only come back here for other projects after
you have first done something for other provinces that have not yet benefited
from your good gestures.”
President Mnangagwa said the new mortuary will see the dead
being preserved with dignity before burial.
The new maternity wing is also expected to reduce infant
mortality.
The President, who saluted Zimplats for supporting people
living with albinism, challenged other legislators to ensure they have such
facilities in their constituencies.
“Such projects also go hand in hand with our vision to
promote cleanliness throughout the country,” he said.
President Mnangagwa praised Gutu Central National Assembly
member Winston Chitando for spearheading developmental projects in his
constituency.
He urged other parliamentarians to emulate Cde Chitando’s
servant leadership, which he said guaranteed the legislator continuous support
from the electorate.
Cde Chitando, who is also the Mines and Mining Development
Minister, launched a number of projects to economically empower people in his
constituency, including commercial garlic production that will earn households
income.
There is also a subsidised grinding mill project where people
in 10 wards in the constituency, are paying $2 to have a bucket of maize
ground.
President Mnangagwa said the initiatives by Cde Chitando
help ordinary people access basic services at affordable prices.
Cde Chitando gave President Mnangagwa a copy of the
constituency newsletter, which shows the projects taking place there in line
with Vision 2030.
Zimplats chief executive Mr Alex Mhembere said his firm had
poured $5 million for new projects at Gutu Rural Hospital.
He said besides the new mortuary and laundry room, his firm
had financed the drilling of two boreholes and installation of water storage
tanks to ensure adequate supply. Herald
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