The
campaign
forms
part
of
the
National
Clean-Up
Day
initiative,
established
in
2018
to
promote
a
clean,
safe
and
healthy
environment.
Speaking
to
CITE
ahead
of
the
exercise,
ZCC
national
chairperson
Reverend
Mbongeni
P
Dube
said
the
initiative
was
inspired
by
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa’s
declaration
that
environmental
cleanliness
should
be
treated
as
a
national
priority.
“From
the
Zimbabwe
Council
of
Churches,
mainly
this
clean-up
campaign
is
on
the
foundation
of
the
president,
Ed
Mnangagwa,
who
declared
in
December
2018
that
there
should
be
a
clean,
safe
and
healthy
environment
which
we
can
manage,”
he
said.
Reverend
Dube
said
churches
in
Bulawayo
had
agreed
to
work
collectively
and
in
partnership
with
other
organisations
to
support
the
city’s
cleanliness
drive.
“As
churches
we
sat
down
and
we
saw
fit
that
we
should
join
together
to
clean
Bulawayo
and
to
unite
with
other
organisations
such
as
the
city
council
and
many
others,”
he
said.
He
added
that
the
campaign
had
drawn
broad-based
support
from
different
religious
groups
and
civic
organisations.
“We
have
also
united
with
the
Muslim
community,
the
Latter-day
Saints,
and
vendors’
associations
as
well.
They
are
part
of
us,
so
a
lot
of
organisations
have
come
on
board,”
he
said.
Reverend
Dube
said
the
church
felt
compelled
to
lead
by
example,
describing
environmental
stewardship
as
part
of
its
moral
and
spiritual
responsibility.
“The
Bible
says
we
are
the
light
and
the
salt
of
the
earth,
so
as
churches
we
need
to
lead
by
example
as
we
clean
our
Bulawayo,”
he
said.
He
added
that
the
initiative
was
rooted
in
Christian
teaching
that
humanity
has
a
duty
to
care
for
the
earth.
“Our
theology
is
that
God
gave
us
a
mandate
to
take
care
of
the
garden.
So
we
have
been
given
Bulawayo,
this
is
where
we
eat,
this
is
where
we
work
—
and
God
reminds
us
to
take
care
of
this
garden
that
we
have
been
given,”
he
said.
The
clean-up
will
take
place
at
the
Unity
Village
entrance
along
6th
Avenue,
starting
at
7am
and
ending
at
10am.
Reverend
Dube
said
the
campaign
is
open
to
all
residents.
“So
this
has
been
our
initiative.
Everyone
has
been
invited
to
this
clean-up
campaign,”
he
said.
Beyond
the
immediate
exercise,
the
ZCC
hopes
to
roll
out
community
workshops
to
raise
awareness
about
proper
waste
management
and
the
dangers
of
littering.
“It
is
our
hope
that
as
we
go
forward
we
will
have
workshops
to
teach
people
on
the
harmful
effects
of
littering,
because
sometimes
people
are
ignorant
about
what
they
are
supposed
to
do,”
he
said.
The
campaign
comes
against
the
backdrop
of
growing
concern
by
the
Bulawayo
City
Council
over
illegal
dumping,
which
it
has
described
as
a
“cancer”
spreading
across
the
city.
Late
last
year,
council
officials
said
they
were
considering
increasing
littering
fines
by
up
to
900%
in
a
bid
to
deter
offenders.
Proposals
include
raising
the
maximum
fine
for
illegal
dumping
from
US$30
to
US$300.
Bulawayo
Mayor
David
Coltart
has
also
urged
authorities
to
target
construction
companies
and
businesses
that
dump
waste
illegally,
suggesting
penalties
of
around
US$300
per
tonne,
arguing
that
it
should
be
more
expensive
to
dump
illegally
than
to
use
official
landfill
sites.
President
Mnangagwa
has
previously
noted
that
Zimbabwe’s
Constitution
guarantees
every
citizen
the
right
to
a
clean
and
safe
environment
that
does
not
harm
their
health
and
wellbeing.
He
declared
the
first
Friday
of
every
month
National
Clean-Up
Day
in
December
2018.