President to lead Vic Falls clean-up

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa will this Friday lead the National Clean-Up Day campaign in Victoria Falls as Government intensifies efforts to clean cities.

On December 5 last year, President Mnangagwa declared the first Friday of every month a National Clean-up Day, a time when all citizens are supposed to clean-up their surroundings between 8am and 10am.

Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs Minister Richard Moyo confirmed that President Mnangagwa would lead the clean-up in Victoria Falls.

“The President will be coming this Friday to lead from the front as we clean-up our tourist resort town. We know Victoria Falls is the cleanest city in Zimbabwe and the President will be coming to ratify that hence we are happy as a province as this will be an opportunity for our people to mix and mingle with him for a good cause,” said Minister Moyo.

He said the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) is preparing for the day. Minister Moyo urged people to turn up in their numbers for the clean-up, adding that the programme would be availed during the week.

The Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Mr Munesu Munodawafa, recently said Victoria Falls has the potential to become the world’s cleanest urban centre as he led the clean-up exercise in February.

Environmental and conservation organisations in and around Hwange district have started initiatives to complement the Government’s programme through a schools’ quiz competitions aimed at raising awareness about keeping the environment clean.

Recently, Environment Africa and Alert organised a quiz competition where nine primary schools from in and around Victoria Falls namely Sikebelo, Bethesda, Chidobe, Masue, Mizpah, BH36, Chimbombo, Chewumba and Sacred Heart Mission participated.

The competition was also used as belated commemorations for the Africa Environment and Water Day (Wangari Maathai Day) and World Wildlife Day to educate school children about keeping the environment clean.

Last week, Painted Dog Conservation in Dete organised a similar event for schools from Dete.