Zimpapers Logo

Part of the team of PPC workers during a clean-up campaign in Gwanda town

Business Correspondent
PPC Zimbabwe’s Colleen Bawn plant has commemorated the company’s 125th anniversary in a unique way by embarking on a clean-up campaign at the neighbouring Gwanda town.

The team, numbering 125 in all, signifying the 125 years of PPC’s existence, recently did 125 minutes of clean up in the local authority led by their general manager, Mr Allan Tshabangu.

They joined hands with the municipality team comprising the Gwanda Mayor Councillor Knowledge Ndlovu and a group of municipal staff to give the town a clean-up on the day of the anniversary.

“We wanted to do something different to commemorate this milestone anniversary. It’s a great achievement but we didn’t achieve it alone. The community in which we operate and live in has contributed in a number of ways and this clean-up project was a fitting way to honour that long-held association before cutting the anniversary cake,” said Mr Tshabangu.

“The Gwanda welcome billboard, sponsored by PPC, underpins this close bond between the company and the community, emblazoned as it is with the words ‘This is PPC territory’. The clean-up was just another sign of that territorial connection.”

The PPC crew travelled to Gwanda in the morning where, together with the municipal staff, all armed with cleaning tools and personal protective equipment, spent 125 minutes concentrating on cleaning particular areas of the town, which, due to their high traffic, needed the most attention. The team was split into teams for wider coverage.

In the end, the anniversary campaign turned out to be much more than just a clean-up operation as the team also took the time to visit some of its valuable customers.

“That was an unexpected outcome of the day, a befitting birthday present for PPC which further cemented our ties with the Gwanda community,” said Mr Tshabangu.

Meanwhile, Clr Ndlovu also commended the PPC team for good working relations with the community.

“The relationship between Gwanda and PPC is strong and shows itself in many different ways and this clean-up was yet another benefit of this relationship. When we heard their proposal, we were not only more than happy to welcome them, but also to join in. It was a great initiative, particularly seeing the general manager working alongside his team and our municipal workers. It was a real team effort,” he said.