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Harare Bureau
President Mnangagwa yesterday added weight to the national monthly clean-up exercise after he made a surprise appearance at Five Avenue Shopping Centre in Harare where he cleaned up shops and areas around the complex.

Government has set the first Friday of every month as the national environment cleaning day.

Acting President Constantino Chiwenga graced the occasion in Eastlea where he told participates that cleanliness was next to godliness.

President Mnangagwa led staff from his office in cleaning up the shopping centre.

He talked to shoppers and onlookers as he walked into Spar supermarket before proceeding to OK Zimbabwe.

Some people jostled for photographs with the President.

In an interview, President Mnangagwa said there was need to inculcate a culture of cleanliness.

“Ndiripazororo. (I am on my annual leave). I just came to see if people have taken heed of the call that I made of cleaning their environment.

I am happy that in most places that I have passed through people are cleaning up the environment,” said the President.

“It is a programme that I wish to take root among people whether here in urban areas or in the rural areas,” he said.

He challenged Zimbabweans to ensure the environment is always clean.

“We need not just wait for the first Friday of the beginning of the month but everyday one should ensure that his or her environment is clean.

It has to be a culture. We cannot be outdone by other countries, which I will not mention by names. They are clean. Our vision is that in our country by end of this year you will not see litter. It should be a culture for every Zimbabwean. All of us where we stay, our workplace, where we sleep, our homes where we eat, should be clean.”

President Mnangagwa was accompanied by State Security Minister Owen Ncube and other senior Government officials.

The nation responded positively yesterday to the national clean-up exercise.

In Mashonaland East, provincial Environmental Management Agency manager Ms Juliet Mavhu commended the province for heeding the President’s call by cleaning up the provincial capital, Marondera.

Ms Mavhu said the response from stakeholders was overwhelming.

“Let me commend the response from various organisations in this province. It is positive as you know the President made the call recently and we launched the campaign, the response is just good,” she said.

In the Midlands province, people were seen cleaning the central business district in Kwekwe and Redcliff.

There was a huge response from various Government departments and the corporate world.

Officials from Zibagwe Rural District Council participated in a clean-up exercise coordinated by the district administrator’s office.

Acting Kwekwe district administrator, Mr Clemence Muduma thanked organisations and residents for cleaning up the city.

“Companies also supplied lorries and bins. It was a huge success,” he said.

In Manicaland province, the corporate world joined residents in cleaning up Mutare City.

Manicaland provincial administrator, Mr Edgars Seenza, said the response showed people had taken heed of President Mnangagwa’s call for a clean environment.

Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs Minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka led the clean-up exercise in Norton.

She took a swipe at Norton Town Council for exposing residents to waterborne diseases by failing to collect garbage at Katanga business centre.

“How are you surviving with all this garbage? I am disappointed by Norton Town Council for failing to take proper action against the litter,” she said.

In Chinhoyi, Government officials joined the private sector in cleaning up the city.

The clean-up campaign was led by acting provincial administrator Mr Amigo Mhlanga and targeted areas such as Muzimba, Hunyani Section, Mpata and the Chinhoyi bus terminus.

In Kariba, Nyaminyami district administrator Mr Witness Kufa led the cleaning up of the resort town.

The clean-up campaign targeted the Waverly bus terminus along the Harare-Bulawayo Highway in Kadoma.

Meanwhile, Acting President Constantino Chiwenga has implored Zimbabweans to fully embrace the national clean-up programme and join hands with local authorities to bring sanity in all cities.

He made the remarks at Eastlea shopping centre in Harare where he led Government officials in cleaning up the environment.

The acting President was accompanied by several Ministers.

He took time removing garbage at Haddon Motors.

“This is the second time following the launch of this programme. My message is let us embrace this one important initiative. Let us avoid throwing litter everywhere. Let us be responsible citizens. We should as individuals stop dropping litter but find the designated dumping places. By so doing we will achieve the sunshine city status Harare and other places used to have,” he said.

The acting President said while it was the duty of local authorities to remove garbage, it was important to complement them.

“Let us put aside the notion that local authorities are responsible. No. Let us complement them. They are somehow overwhelmed,” he said.

Acting President Chiwenga said the nation must promote a culture of cleanlines.

“We need to take this initiative to our door step. Let us teach our children to be responsible and shun the behaviour of throwing litter everywhere. Some of the diseases we end up battling to control can be prevented by keeping our places clean,” he said.