Passengers Association of Zimbabwe & Zimbabwe Passengers Transport Organisation & Cedarwood Memorial School of Mortuary Sciences with The Assistance of Environmental Management Agency and City of Harare National Clean Up Day Event at Mbare Main Bus Terminus.
Passengers Association of Zimbabwe (PAZ) organized a National Clean Up Day event on the 2nd of December 2023 at Mbare Main Bus Terminus. Zimbabwe Passenger Transport Organisation (ZPTO), and students of Cedarwood Memorial Trust (CMSMS) led by the Head also participated. Environmental Management Agency (EMA) provided brooms, latex gloves and plastic bins. Harare City workers at the rank also aided with bins for waste collection and disposal.
Participants cleaned up Mbare Main Bus Terminus and also conducted an awareness campaign, which included distribution of bins to vendors and takeaways. City of Harare representatives, PAZ and CMSMS encouraged vendors and takeaways at the terminus to keep their environment clean, especially as there is a cholera epidemic. They were advised that if they fail to observe proper hygiene and keeping their working environment clean, they may forfeit their right or privilege to operate.
PAZ was led by its National Coordinator Mr. Tafadzwa Goliati, and representatives from ZPTO participated, whilst ten students were led by the founder of Cedarwood Memorial Trust, who is also the head of Cedarwood School of Mortuary Sciences, Mr. Johan Yadyo.
The National Coordinator of PAZ, Tafadzwa Goliati, called for commuters and vendors to ensure that they keep bus ranks clean and that there should be proper vending as commuters no longer have space for their mobility, such that they end up walking in the midst of the road, where they may be hit by buses and other vehicles.
‘We also appeal to EMA and City of Harare to ensure that there is proper and complete collection of refuse from Mbare Main Bus Terminus. There is an eyesore of piled up refuse, which is burnt 24hours affecting commuters, rather than collected by dump trucks for proper disposal. We look forward to having clean bus termini all over Harare, as well as in all cities and towns and look forward to all councils prioritizing this issue,’ said PAZ National Coordinator, Tafadzwa Goliati.
Students of CMSMS viewed the clean up exercise at the very busy bus rank as an eye opener, outside their mortuary science training. Mr. Johan Yadyo, then stated that, ‘As Cedarwood Memorial Trust, we want the funeral practitioner to appreciate that they have a social responsibility beyond ensuring that the dearly departed have a deserving send off, and helping the survivors to cope with grief. Seeing members of the public brushing shoulders with us outside a funeral occasion and joyously cleaning up is a delightful experience.
A bus crew member said that it is important to keep bus ranks clean and, in the future, they will keep participating in these activities. ‘We thank President Mnangagwa for coming up with this day and we thank EMA and all partners for appreciating the importance of Mbare which provides transport to all corners of Zimbabwe.’
The National Day of Clean Up was proclaimed by President Mnangwagwa, on the 15th of December 2018, to be on the first Friday of every month and since then various stakeholders including government departments, companies, Community Based Organisations, NGOs and churches have participated on clean ups during this day. PAZ, ZPTO and CMT choose Mbare Main Bus Terminus, because of its significance as the largest bus rank in the country and Mbare the oldest Harare township has the most business and commuting traffic in Harare.
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