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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
Minister of State for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs Abednico Ncube has called on Government and other development players to avail more resources to Beitbridge Municipality to enhance its capacity to deal with environmental and solid waste management issues.

He said the town was a preface of the country to those entering from South Africa and hence it had to be a clean urban settlement.

Minister Ncube was speaking during the provincial launch of the National Environment Cleaning Day held in the border town last week.

He said the level of littering in the town and along major highways leading to either Bulawayo or Harare was appalling.
It is estimated that the town produces at least 700 tonnes of solid waste monthly.

“It is important that we put heads together with Government, residents, business and other development players in addressing environmental management issues,” said Cde Ncube.

“As a nation we have a duty to work around the clock, to make sure that there is no littering in our country and respective areas. You will all note that Beitbridge is an entry point to those going to either South Africa or to countries north of the Zambezi River. We have to attend to this issues of littering collectively.

“It is also apparent that the high-level of littering is caused by a high population of people and in this case Beitbridge has an estimated daily transit population of 10 000 which also contributes to the dumping of solid waste. The Government needs to capacitate the local authority so that they may attend to issues of environmental management. The town is for all Zimbabweans including its residents and those in transit”.

He said business centres within the town and along major highways must also play a leading role in enhancing a clean and safe environment.

He said the Head State, President Mnangagwa, had declared the first Friday of every month as a National Cleaning Day and hence the need to emulate his efforts.

“I would also want to urge the local authority to come up with by-laws to effectively deal with litter bugs.
“In addition, other Government agencies charged with monitoring environmental issues should increase anti-littering campaigns,” said the minister.

The Mayor of Beitbridge, Councillor Morgan Ncube, said the local authority was open to private public partnership in areas around the management of environmental issues.

He said they were seeking partners to construct a modern landfill for the efficient handling of solid waste.
“An average of 15 000 people access the border daily during off-peak periods and the numbers rise to around 30 000 daily during major holidays.

“The huge volumes of both human and vehicular traffic in our town increases our burden in attending to environmental management-related challenges,” said Cllr Ncube.

He said they were working on a number of strategies including the installation of bins around major business centres, roads and other strategic places to arrest littering.

Cllr Ncube said they were also running an annual mayor’s anti- littering half-marathon to intensify the fight against littering.