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DEFENCE and War Veterans Affairs Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri has urged local authorities to adopt the greening approach in their cities towards sustainable communities.

She said this in a speech read on her behalf by the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Judith Ncube during the Bulawayo provincial clean-up campaign that was held at Southwold Shopping Centre in Southwold suburb.

The programme is part of the national initiative launched by President Mnangagwa in 2018 who set aside every first Friday of every month as the day Zimbabweans clean their environs.

It runs under the theme Zero Tolerance to Litter-My Environment- My Pride

“I want to encourage local authorities to respect nature, consider the urban ecological environment as an asset, integrate environmental issues into urban planning and administration and accelerate the transition to smart cities and sustainable communities.

Local authorities should set policy direction aiming at resource efficiency and grow a recycling-based society which ultimately is able to provide for its residents both current and for future generations,” said Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri.

She said the need to reduce plastic pollution remains the best towards a clean, safe and healthy environment.

“As communities we can do our bit toward reducing plastics by rejecting and avoiding the use of plastic bags and paper as much as possible.

They not only pollute the environment, but also speed up the filling up of the landfills faster than expected,” she added.

The campaign ended on a high note in Bulawayo when Minister Ncube joined service chiefs and planted trees around the area.

In Plumtree, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Evelyn Ndlovu and the Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Technologies, Postal and Courier Services Dingumuzi Phuti led the cleanup campaign.

Minister Ndlovu urged the community to adopt a culture of cleanliness, and be ashamed of disposing garbage everywhere.

“I encourage even the home owners to take responsibility of their surroundings, let everyone be their area’s keeper, desisting from throwing litter everywhere.

We are asking EMA to take action upon litter bugs,” said Minister Ndlovu.

She also advised that learners should sustain cleaning their schools, and make sure that they all participate in the cleanup campaigns.

At Mawabeni Business Centre the campaign was led by Minister of State for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Cde Abedinico Ncube.

He was joined by members of the uniformed forces, representatives of various Government departments and community members.

Addressing stakeholders that were gathered at the venue, Minister Ncube said it was the duty of every citizen to ensure that the province was kept clean.

“It’s our duty as citizens of the province to ensure that we keep our area clean.

Clean streets improve the appearance of the province which further attracts investors.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa led by example by declaring the first Friday of each month the national cleanup day because he knew the importance of a clean environment,” he said.

In a speech read on his behalf in Binga by Mr Mgcini Vellah the administrator in the District Coordinating Committee, Minister of Provincial Affairs and Devolution Richard Moyo said the business community must embrace recycling.

“Sustainable waste management calls for efforts by the business community to adopt and adapt circularity principles in integrated waste management.

Circularity and mutual symbiosis in the business sector remain a key vehicle to ensuring recycling, remaining, repurposing thereby achieving zero waste in the environment.

“Let me emphasize the need for the business community to embrace the cradle to cradle principle, in which producers or retailers follow through the life cycles of their products from manufacture to recycling, as opposed to the cradle to grave, whose final port of call is disposal.

This principle is a vital facet of a circular economy and will ensure cleanliness of our service centres and the environment in its entirety,” said Minister Moyo.

In the Midlands the provincial clean-up campaign was held in Shurugwi.

Shurugwi residents took part in the cleaning of Shurugwi long distance terminus and the central business district.

Shurugwi District Development Coordinator (DDC) Mr Romeo Shangwa called on people to heed President Mnangagwa’s call for a clean environment from their respective homes.

“The is a need for community members to be active in the cleanup exercise as well as separating waste at source to recover materials for recycling.

Stakeholders are also encouraged to take a lead in organising cleanups.

We should strive to live in a clean environment from home like the President always encourages the nation to do,” he said.

Mr Shangwa also encouraged vendors to form waste management committees that will oversee waste management issues.