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Tendai Rupapa, Senior Reporter
HARARE City Council yesterday deployed teams to fumigate the capital’s roads in its fight against Covid-19, which has killed thousands of people worldwide and left thousands others hospitalised.

Teams of council workers could be seen with knapsack sprayers yesterday, as they went about the fumigation programme in the central business district (CBD).

Council received 1,4 tonnes of disinfectants and 50 knapsacks from Fossil Agro to sanitise the environment.
The company also donated 5 000 litres of diesel.

The donation is valued at $550 000.

After the CBD, the council teams will be deployed to high-density areas to ensure the whole city is covered.

Crowded areas like Mbare hostels and those in Highfield will be covered to ensure residents are safe from the disease.

Council, according to Harare Town Clerk Mr Hosea Chisango, has sent an appeal to the corporate world to assist with resources.

He urged the nation to take heed of the 21-day lockdown which is a principal measure announced by President Mnangagwa in the fight against Covid-19.

Fossil Agro’s marketing executive, Ms Lorraine Rubaba, said the assistance rendered to council was part of the firm’s social responsibility programme.

“We have decided to donate some chemicals for sanitisation,” she said. “This is hydrogen peroxide which is very effective in the sanitisation of public spaces. We felt that it is our duty against the sobering pandemic.

“We call upon all people from the private sector and the NGO sector to chip in because this is the time we believe all Zimbabweans must come together and unite to fight this pandemic. I pray that each and everyone of us is safe wherever they are.

“We take this as a privilege to play a part as an organisation to fight this pandemic.”
Harare Mayor Councillor Herbert Gomba pleaded with residents to allow the council teams access.

“We are going to sanitise public areas, and selected premises. Therefore, we kindly ask residents to allow our people who are carrying out the programme to have access to their properties for them to do the work,” he said.

“The consignment donated by Fossil Agro will go a long way in fighting the virus.”

Harare corporate communications manager Mr Michael Chideme said they were taking advantage of the lockdown to spray all busy areas in the city.

He expressed gratitude to various corporate entities that had given council a helping hand, saying the authority had few resources at its disposal to fully discharge its services.

Mr Chideme said Chinese businessman Liangming Jin donated 5 000 litres of diesel, while another businessman, Mr Alex Mashamhanda, chipped in with 1 000 litres.

“Diesel will be used by our health surveillance teams as they monitor Covid-19, in addition to our waste management refuse trucks and illegal dump clearance and the water department,” he said.