BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA
Cabinet has called upon all political parties to remove campaign posters which have remained on many buildings, walls and other infrastructure following the August 23 and 24 harmonised elections.
The directive was made during Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting after a presentation by Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu on solid waste management.
Minister Ndlovu said there was an environmental crisis mostly in urban areas hence several measures were put in place to address the anomaly.
“All political parties should be compelled to mobilise their constituents to remove their campaign materials from the environment and ensure that it is properly disposed of with the assistance of local authorities,” read the post Cabinet briefing.
It was reported that Cabinet had highlighted “that the deplorable state of cleanliness across the country, particularly in urban areas is due to local authorities’ ineptitude and negligence in collecting and managing solid waste disposal.
“On its part, central Government has made interventions to redress the situation, including introduction of the National Clean Up Campaign in 2018 and declaration of a State of Disaster in Harare Metropolitan Province in 2023.
“An Emergency Solid Waste Management Programme is currently being implemented under the State of Disaster declaration,” further read the post Cabinet brief.
Several measures were also put in place to control the proliferation of waste which has become an eyesore across the country including a Statutory Instrument (SI) which will be publicised to make the National Clean Up Programme compulsory for Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Local Authorities, the business sector, vendors, retailers and manufacturers.
Other measures included; “that local authorities should localise the SI by promulgation of the relevant by-laws.
“That funds collected by Local Authorities from residents for waste management will be ring-fenced in-order to ensure that the Authorities do not divert the funds to other uses, with EMA supervising the usage of the funds.
“That deterrent fines for public littering will be introduced and enforced, and repeat offenders charged with no option of a fine but given mandatory community service;
“Road and rail authorities will be compelled to ensure that road and rail servitudes are litter-free, and to undertake regular clean ups along the servitudes and at lay-bys.
“Public transport vehicles that dump waste along roads shall be fined up to Level 8 with the responsible transport operator or owner also being liable.
“That massive awareness and education programmes be undertaken, starting with a re-launch of the National Clean Up Programme in order to embed a mindset against littering and general disorder,” further read the post Cabinet briefing.
It was also resolved that in the medium-term, more efficient usage and disposal of plastic carrier bags and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers will be promoted in order to address the challenge of plastic waste.
“Long-term measures include increased waste recycling business and introduction of levies to deter the importation of materials such as plastics and disposable nappies whose management of post-consumer use is problematic.
“The education curriculum will also have deliberate learning programmes on cleanliness and management of waste from the lowest levels going up,” added the post Cabinet briefing.
It remains to be seen when political parties will take heed of the Cabinet’s directive to start disposing their campaign materials.
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