Suburban
Peter Tanyanyiwa Suburban Reporter
WARD 7 stakeholders have made a resolution to stop illegal dumping in their suburbs following the recently launched “Chenesa Harare,” operation where communities are being roped in to help clean up their neighbourhoods at ward level.
Also borrowing lessons from the successful anti-illegal dumping campaign in Ward 9 (Greendale, Mandara), Ward 7 residents resolved to take pictures and report vehicles or individuals spotted dumping garbage in the ward.
Ward 7 Councillor Happymore Gotora urged residents to be the custodians of their communities through policing their own neighbourhoods and recording evidence of individuals who will be dumping garbage so they can be identified and brought to book.
“We are urging all residents to be the custodians of their ward through taking steps to stop illegal dumping. We are encouraging residents to record evidence either videos or pictures of the perpetrators while in the act so that they can be identified and called in to answer for their crimes. When we get to such a level people will eventually desist from dumping garbage,” said Cllr Gotora.
The City of Harare recently embarked on a decentralised three week clean-up blitz which will mainly be led by volunteers from the ward under the Chenesa Harare Operation which was launched by the Mayor Jacob Mafume last month at Town House.
Cllr Gotora said the City of Harare cannot do it alone but needed the support of residents in implementing the clean-up operation at ward level.
“Community based waste management programmes are collaborations between non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which include residents, Government agencies such as local authorities and impacted communities to provide equipment, resources and training necessary to establish an effective waste management programme and to run the programme independently,” sald Cllr Gotora.
Participation by local communities will involve:
- Removal and transportation of solid waste from dumps in the communities to disposal sites
- Drain clearance and transportation of the waste thereof to disposal sites
