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Tendai Rupapa in MUTARE

WASTE management is a critical aspect of environmental protection that should be taken seriously to fight diseases and earn money, Environmental patron, First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, has said.

She made the remarks at the graduation of hundreds of women, men and youths from Manicaland Province in waste recycling at a ceremony where she also viewed products like beads, bags, chairs, tables and ornaments made from recycled waste.

A brainchild of the First Lady, the recycling training is being taken to all the country’s provinces.

She is working with the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry through the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) to capacitate the grassroots communities on the best practices on management of waste. Dr Mnangagwa also held an interactive session with the community where she underscored the need for citizens to work hard and shun domestic violence which threatened the survival of families.

Amai Mnangagwa praised the graduates for participating in the training on recycling as a business. 

“Waste management is a critical aspect of our environment on all fronts. The management of waste is a serious challenge that has impacted us negatively and it is up to us to take action and clean up our environment. 

“In realisation of the situation, the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe prioritised waste recycling as a flagship output in the economic blueprint the National Development Strategy One (NDS1),” she said. 

“To convert this into action, my office worked with the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry through the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) to roll out a training programme to capacitate the grassroots communities on the best practices on management of waste including reuse, recovery and recycling as a business.” 

Hygiene, the First Lady said, was everyone’s prerogative which started at household level.

“Hygiene begins with you. Like in your home, in what state did you leave your house now? If you practice good hygiene your home will be airy and will be a pleasure to visit. 

“If you look at yourself from head to toe, you will look wonderful before others if you practice good hygiene. You then look at your family and your husband and see to it that the buttons are in place.

“We do not want situations where the husband ties pieces of cloth on the button hole despite coming from a home that has a wife. This does not give us a good image as women. Cleanliness begins with you and me. If you throw litter on the pavements and sidewalks, who do you expect to pick it up for you?” she said to applause.

The mother of the nation said cleanliness had nothing to do with political persuasion and everyone had to play a part.

“Cleanliness has nothing to do with any political affiliation because if you throw litter based on this you are putting your own health at risk. I would like to urge motorists to have mini plastic bins in your cars instead of tossing litter on the highway. 

“A cleaner environment fronts development and enhances the already beautiful scenery of our nation. Like here in Manicaland it’s beautiful, the scenic view is good. The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe His Excellency Dr ED Mnangagwa launched the clean-up campaign as part of his re-engagement efforts because there is no entity, corporation or country that can trust a waste-infested environment as a possible area for investment. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, the graduates here present we need to open our eyes and see a window of opportunity in every challenge we face. There is income in the collection of litter. 

“The Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe under the new dispensation has afforded the opportunity to recycle litter as an economic empowerment tool to every Zimbabwean willing to take part with proper documentation. It is not only the council which can collect and recycle litter but anyone with the drive can now do it. This project on its own brings income generation and financial stability in the domestic set up,” she said to applause.

Dr Mnangagwa had words of advice on courtship and the need for young people to build strong marriages which do not end in divorce, like has become widespread these days.

“Utensils must be washed immediately after use and not tomorrow. We can’t say our daughter-in-law has gone to sleep and left dishes unwashed, zvinounza zvirwere. We must see to it that our surroundings are clean. The issue of marriages, where are you finding one another? Where you meet denotes how you will live. 

“I heard that nowadays if you greet a girl and say you admire their dressing; the next thing hanzi you find them at your doorstep before you atouya kuzogara nemukomana iyeye pasina kana kumbofambidzana nekuzivana. 

“Find ways of learning about one another and hearing about your partner from others. Isn’t it so? As mothers we also reject these divorce cases, especially young couples. Do not hop from one marriage to the other, be content and love one another,” she said.

The event, she said, was not just about celebrating the graduation, but the continuation of the recycling programme.

“Today we gathered to appreciate all those that participated in this rigorous training programme. However, let not this graduation be a means to an end of this noble initiative but the beginning of a continuous and viable project. Ladies and gentlemen today’s event is not just about the training but its continuation. We have invited those already in business so that we learn from them and we establish market links,” she said.

The mother of the nation enjoined all citizens to join the crusade of turning trash into cash.

She triggered laughter when she asked couples where and how they met.

“How did you meet? Did you court one another and learn about each other? So when you marry, where is divorce coming from? How are you living in the homes and is there love and peace?” he asked.

Mr and Mrs Maphosa said they were living in marital bliss since they agreed to stop secrets and promote transparency.

Mr and Mrs Munyebvu praised God for blessing their home.

“I am happy God gave me a loving wife who is respectful and gives me my rightful position as the head of the house,” said the husband.

Mr and Mrs Madhewu who have been married for 25 years said they were deeply in love.

“We have been together for 25 years and the love fires are still burning as though we met recently.”

Mr Sanzvenga said he lost his mother and now sees his wife as his mother.

“I lost my mother and when I see my wife I view her as my mother. Therefore, there is no domestic violence in our home. I cannot beat my own mother,” he said.

A young couple kissed in public glare saying they were deeply in love and had never fought.

The graduates drawn from all the districts who were handed certificates were on Cloud nine.

Mr Peter Madewu thanked the First Lady for empowering them.

“I am so happy that our mother has empowered us. She has made it possible for us to realise income to sustain our families through what people thought was useless. I am grateful for her love,” he said.

Similar words were echoed by Mrs Tasha Maturure who said she would scale dizzy heights with the training she had received.

“Armed with this training, the sky can only be the limit. I want to work hard and ensure that I recruit more people so that we keep the environment clean while earning large sums of money to sustain ourselves,” she said.

This dovetailed with the views of Nomore Mutsago.

“I wish the First Lady a long life filled with blessings because of what she has done and continues to do for us. She has helped us learn more about recycling and given us the opportunity to live healthy and productive lives. I am sure if I use the certificate I have received here fully, I will change my life and that of my family for the better,” he said.

Mrs Beauty Hughes of Dollar deal Manufacturers said she had benefited immensely, thanks to the First Lady’s empowerment programmes.

“I wish to thank our mother who has gathered us here to discuss recycling where she is empowering mainly women. I am here today to inspire other women. There are many things that I am recycling from decorative mirrors, plastic beads, braai stands from reclaimed metals, garden decor and tables, chairs. I am even recycling sadza to make ornaments. I thank Amai heartily for uplifting us. She is saying everything can be recycled. If a child’s bicycle tyre is worn out, you can make a mirror or table. I am benefiting a lot and there are many people from foreign countries who want these things that we make,” she said.

Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Nokuthula Matsikenyere, showered the First Lady with praises for her solutions-based approach.

“This recycling programme is complementing the monthly clean-ups which seek to clean the environment that was enunciated by the President, Cde Mnangagwa. Manicaland is proud to inform you that hundreds of men, women and youths completed training and are graduating today. 

“The graduates have already started recycling, waste separating and are making money through recycling. We thank you for such programmes Amai. 

“The clean-up programme has brought together many people in picking litter which is now profitable as waste is sold. Waste has also declined by 64 percent according to the research held in April this year. 

“To improve public health and improve the province’s Gross Domestic Product we are committed to working hard to bring about change and success using discarded material,” she said. 

Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services Chaplain, Christine Phiri, encouraged communities to embrace the opportunities being availed by the First Lady.

“Every child of Zimbabwe, there are some people who may treat you as litter, those who heard you were divorced and thought you were now rubbish, I am one of those who were divorced, but I want to thank the First Lady who recycled me and said even though there may be someone who discarded you saying you are useless, you are right as you are. 

“There are some people who threw you away and said you are now useless and said your structure is not appealing, but I have come to tell you to recycle and it will work out. Mhamha is saying kumudzimai, wakakosha. 

“Whether you were once a lady of the night, Amai has come to recycle you by empowering you through the works of your hands. There is nothing called rubbish or useless. 

“Yes, you have been branded sex workers, but you have lives to lead behind that bad tag. Our mother came up with programmes and now visits all places countrywide. All those ladies are no longer fighting for men in bars as they now have projects to do,” said Chaplain Phiri.

In a speech read on his behalf by Mr Steady Kangata, Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Mangaliso Ndlovu, applauded the First Lady for her resolve to ensure communities benefit from recycling.

“Recycling is a subject that was largely talked about without anything tangible. We are glad as the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry that we have a patron who directs us time and again. At the beginning of the year she advised us to take recycling to various provinces. 

“Our patron usually takes things that we handle as concepts in our offices to various districts. She makes it possible for concepts to reach each and every person countrywide. We started recycling by teaching people in various places from March to April 2023. 

“The people we worked with are those we took from rural areas, towns, growth points and rural service centres because littering is widespread and there is a challenge to recycle litter into other things. We did this work alongside community leaders and the ministry of youth, ministry of women affairs, to bring about collaboration in the work that we were doing. 

“Our objectives were to remind one another with communities on modern ways of handling litter. For something to be branded litter, it will be at an inappropriate place so once we put dirt in its rightful place, it ceases to be litter. These objectives did not end there. We sought to equip people with skills in terms of waste recovery. The other objective was to turn trash to cash and make people work depending on the level they will be operating from,” he said. 

Amai Mnangagwa donated maize-meal, instant porridge and soya chunks to primary schools around the province for the schools feeding programme. 

In addition, she gave them sanitary wear for the girls. For communities she also donated maize-meal.

Bulawayo based arts group Iyasa provided edutainment on the importance of waste management.