The Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) is set to lead a city-wide clean-up campaign in Bulawayo on 6 February, as faith groups and civic stakeholders step up efforts to confront illegal dumping and deteriorating environmental conditions.
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.
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