The Bulawayo City Council has threatened to impose stiff penalties on litterbugs, as the local authority moves to enforce its environmental by-laws.
By KHANYILE MLOTSHWA
Contributing to debate on the environment, Ward 3 councillor, Silas Chigora said there were a number of companies, including colleges, that were going around throwing fliers as a way of advertising their services, thus, littering the environment.
“I am not happy with what other organisations are doing in terms of littering the city,” he said. “We have organisations that are going around throwing fliers and advertisements on the streets just like that. I was wondering if the department has a way of dealing with this.
“One college that is trying to lure students has littered my whole ward with fliers thrown indiscriminately. They just throw the fliers randomly. That college must be punished and made to pick up the litter. There is no way we should be paying people to pick up litter thrown around purposely. May the by-laws punish them. There is an address on the flier, a ticket should go there.”
In response, mayor Martin Moyo said the law was clear on littering and offenders should be punished.
“That one is straight forward: they [offenders] just need to get a ticket,” he said.
Councillors also raised concern over the failure by the local authority to stem the increase in mosquitoes in the city due to incessant rains, uncut grass and blocked drainage systems.
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Ward 1 councillor, Mlandu Ncube said the local authority had to turn its attention to spraying of mosquitoes around the city.
“We are requesting that the committee should now focus on the spraying of mosquitoes,” he said. “We may end up with cases of malaria here. May we please spray the streams.”
Ward 19 councillor, Clyton Zana said attempts by the council to spray the mosquitoes were commendable, however, there was a need to establish if the chemicals used were effective.
“We now need research to find out why we have these mosquitoes all over, and the chemicals are failing to kill them,” he said.
“It’s as if the chemicals just drug the mosquitoes and they recovers after some time. We need to get chemicals that are effective.”
