Litter bugs to face heavy penalties
ZIMBABWE will soon adopt a culture of cleanliness where authorities will arrest and fine people for throwing litter on the streets and dumping refuse at undesignated sites, as happens in some Asian countries.
Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said this at the launch of Operation Chenesa Harare Phase 2 (OCHP 2) on Wednesday.
“In the next few months, we will be arresting all those who throw litter on the roads. It will be a criminal offence which will result in arrest and heavy fines.
“In other countries like Singapore, China and Russia, it is a serious criminal offence to throw even a small piece of paper on the ground, and you can be fined US$500 for that.
“We are also human beings like them and we want to implement the same here,” he said.
Minister Garwe castigated the Harare City Council for charging residents for refuse collection, yet it was not providing the service, which he said was not fair to the ratepayers.
He directed the city council to do justice to the ratepayers by providing services, saying this would assist in eliminating diseases like cholera, typhoid, and dysentery.
Minister Garwe also encouraged residents to pay their bills religiously.
The launch of the second Operation Chenesa Harare, which will run for three months, is an initiative in support of the call by President Mnangagwa to address the challenge of waste management bedevilling most urban centres.
Operation Chenesa Harare Phase 1 was conducted in January in the five zones of the capital and conveyed 25 000 tonnes of solid waste to the Pomona dumpsite.
Minister Garwe said the initiative would also play a crucial role in preparing Harare to host the 44th Heads of State and Government Summit later this year.
“By ensuring a clean and well-maintained urban environment, OCH 2 will help showcase Harare’s readiness to welcome regional leaders and their delegations.
“It is essential that we present our capital city in the best possible light for this important event,” he said.
“Furthermore, the dictum “Zimbabwe is open for business”must be supported by a welcoming, clean, safe and healthy environment to woo investors.” — New Ziana.