Mayor Coltart Calls for Cleaner City, Says Littering Laws Must Be Enforced
Bulawayo Mayor, Senator David Coltart implored the city to play its role in creating a cleaner environment stressing that existing bylaws against littering be enforced.
He said this while addressing the people who came for spring cleaning before adding that citizens also have a responsibility to protect the city.
“We need to be protectors of our city. And we can do that if we see someone littering, we must be polite with people we’ve got to change the culture. But to persuade people, please don’t litter,” he said.
Bylaws of Littering
Commenting on bylaws of littering, BCC Corporate Communications Manager, Nesisa Mpofu said that residents caught violating public nuisance by-laws, including littering, street cooking, and public urination, will face a US$30 spot fine.
Mpofu added that the Spring Cleaning exercise aims to educate the public about the city’s by-laws and clean up Bulawayo. Violators will face a fine. The local authority has already adopted an anti-littering policy, leading to stricter enforcement.
“We know that this is a beautiful city. But we are all responsible,” Mayor Coltart said. “It’s just the same way we are responsible for its decline, we can be a part of transforming it.”
To kickstart the initiative, the mayor led a cleanup campaign in one area of the city. Speaking to participants during the cleanup exercise, the mayor emphasised that it wasn’t just about picking up litter, but also a change in attitude.
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Culture Change
“What is key to this is us all changing our attitude towards the city. Culture. It all starts with us. We’ve got to stop throwing plastic bottles out of car windows,” he said.
He also acknowledged that the city needs more litter bins and refuse vehicles.
“We need to make that a priority for next year to buy sufficient refuse vehicles,” he said. “And then of course, once we’ve done that, once we start changing this culture, then we’ve got to implement our laws.”
Cleanup Campaign
The mayor’s message resonated with residents, who pledged to continue the cleanup campaign beyond the event.
One resident, Thembisa Dube, said it was important for residents to take responsibility for their environment.
“I think this is a great initiative and I hope we can keep it up. We need to keep our city clean for our health and wellbeing,” she said.
Another resident, Sibu Moyo, echoed Thembisa’s sentiments. “This is a good start, but we need to do more. We need to change our behaviour and teach our children to be responsible for their environment,” he said.
Beginning of Change
The mayor ended the event by invoking the parable of the mustard seed. He encouraged residents not to think that their little actions were worthless, but rather to see them as the beginning of change.
“Don’t think that your little action today is worthless. It’s very important. It is the beginning. Please spread the word. We can change our city,” he said.
With the support of residents and the city, it is hoped that this initiative can spark real change in the city of Bulawayo.
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