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Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau

Minister of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu has commended local authorities for heeding the Government’s call to re-organise and decongest towns and cities and other often congested areas during the ongoing lockdown.

He made the remarks on Friday, where Vice President Kembo Mohadi is touring quarantine and isolation centres.

He said it was important for local authorities to come with modern mechanisms to deal with solid waste and to also install more public bins to manage littering.

Minister Ndlovu said the Government was committed to supporting the local authorities improve on issues of solid waste management.

He said in some cases the councils will need support to rebuild the market places.

“We applaud all local authorities that took heed of the call to reorganize their towns and cities and other often congested areas during the lockdown period creating an environmentally friendly workspaces for our small to medium scale enterprises,” said the Minister.

“We are committed to supporting them so that they are capacitated to deal with environmental challenges, in particular solid waste management during this Covid-19 crisis and pave the way towards building back better”.

He said though the fifth edition of the National Day of Clean Up was being held on workers day and under the lockdown families were encouraged to use the day to clean up their backyards.

The minister said the national day of clean up remains a critical vehicle towards the promotion of a clean, safe and healthy environment, during the covid-19 pandemic and beyond the era.

He also encouraged local authorities to stick to their waste collection schedules in residential areas so as to discourage illegal dumping considering that most people are at their homes.

“In addition, all citizens should embrace the 7Rs in waste management; Reduction of waste, Reuse, Recycle, Recover, Remake, Rebuild, Remanufacture in order to manage waste in a circular way hence minimizing waste at any given point.

“However, the ministry is concerned with the emergence of new waste streams as a result of the current pandemic. This comes in the form of Personal Protective Equipment particularly face masks and gloves used countrywide by frontline health personnel as well as the general public.

“Improper disposal has negative effects on the environment and out health and hence the call for all citizens to dispose of used gloves and masks at designated places and not in the environment,” said Minister Ndlovu.