By Evans Mushawevato and Tatenda Gapa

THE donation of litter bins to Harare City Council by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has been described as a major boost to efforts to restore the city’s Sunshine City status.
Once regarded as one of the world’s cleanest and friendliest city, Harare is now grappling with restoring the status that crumpled as a result of a myriad of challenges.
Illegal sanctions imposed on the country by Britain and its allies have not only affected major economic activities, but operations of various institutions including city councils.
A breakdown of services as a result of lack of equipment such as specialised tools for refuse collection and cleaning has resulted in proliferation of litter.
So dire is the situation that councils are struggling to avail basic equipment such as litter bins.
And the local authorities have had to depend on the benevolence of the corporate sector and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Stakeholders have stepped up awareness campaigns that seek to educate communities on effective ways of keeping the environment clean.
In a bid to assist Harare restore its yesteryear image of unrivalled cleanliness the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) donated 200 bins to the city fathers.
The Minister of Environment, Water and Climate Savior Kasukuwere hailed the gesture by the agency.
“The donation of bins comes at a time when the sunshine city status of the capital, Harare, is being hampered by the problem of litter,” said Kasukuwere.
The unavailability of bins has resulted in people dumping litter everywhere.
Kasukuwere implored citizens to use proper waste receptacles to combat the dirt that has turned the city into an eyesore.
“Most citizens have lost their civic pride and feel no shame discarding litter everywhere even throwing it from their vehicles as if Zimbabwe is a giant dust bin,” he said.
“The term ‘litter free’ is not one that the average person can use to describe most places in Zimbabwe.
“Stakeholders across the spectrum of society must adopt effective waste management practices that include reduction of waste generation at source, reusing waste material and recycling initiatives so that ultimately we attain a clean and healthy environment as a nation.”
Lack of liquidity and access to recycling technology has seen on a handful of people venturing into the lucrative recycling business.
Other nations have managed to keep their cities relatively clean as a result of vibrant recycling industries that consume vast amounts of garbage on a daily basis.
Litter elsewhere is also being used to generate power.
The EMA education and awareness manager, Steady Kangata emphasised that the donation was not a full solution to scourge of littering which has not only affected flora, but also the fauna.
“The bins we have donated are not a solution for the litter problem only a part,” Kangata said.
“Citizens have often complained of lack of proper waste receptacles and we are familiar with this problem so we have donated bins which will be placed at strategic and convenient places.”
According to Section 73 of the Zimbabwean constitution, every citizen has a right to live in a clean environment free of pollution.
Environmentalist Keith Muponda urged stakeholders to relook their approach to environmental issues such as cleaning.
For instance, he said, it would be ideal for city authorities to clean cities during the night.
“A thorough job can be done during the night when the streets are not crowded,” said Muponda.
“And if cities are cleaned during the night it means people wake up to a clean environment and people will be more hesitant to throw litter everywhere as it will also be easy to monitor litter-bugs.”
Muponda said stiffer fines must be levied against those caught disposing litter in undesignated areas.
In some countries, even throwing cigarette butts is a punishable offence.
Muponda reiterated the need to establish recycling industries as most municipal dumpsites in the country were filling up.
He urged the creation of mass composts for biodegradable materials.
“People have a wrong idea of composts believing they can only be small, but massive composts can be established that can serve national needs,” he said.
According to pundits, 72 percent of waste generated in Harare is bio-degradable especially food waste and composting it would be an ideal and profitable disposal method.
“Composting is not only good for the environment, but it also offers a natural alternative to chemical fertilisers which further protects the environment currently grappling with huge quantities of toxic chemicals,” said Muponda.
According to studies composting can divert as much as 70 percent of household waste away from the bin. Ultimately it is everybody’s responsibility to keep the environment clean.
After all, they say cleanliness is next to Godliness.