Story by John Nhandara
THE Government has embarked on an operation to improve Harare’s hygienic conditions that include clearing of waste dumps in the wake of rising cholera cases.
The government has cited poor sanitation and unhygienic conditions in the Harare Metropolitan province that include poor waste management and lack of portable water as some of the major causes of cholera cases in the capital.
It is in this vein that Government has embarked on a seven-day waste management blitz code-named ‘Operation Chenesa Harare’ to clear all waste dumps and improve water sanitation in the capital.
The development was confirmed by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere during a media briefing in Harare this Saturday.
“Government has embarked on a sustainable clean cities programme which has been necessitated by the failure of city Harare to clear waste dumps and to provide requisite infrastructure to provide health services across Harare Metropolitan province. We have embarked on a seven-day operation called Operation Chenesa Harare which started yesterday.”
Health and Child Care Minister, Dr Douglas Mombeshora said the Government is also mobilising resources for the procurement of water treatment chemicals to ensure an adequate supply of portable water.
“The causes of cholera include poor hygiene, so ‘Operation Chenesa Harare’ has been necessitated by an increase of cholera cases we are witnessing in Harare. We want to address the poor hygiene conditions we are witnessing in Harare. This is the first intervention with the next move being acquiring water treatment chemicals for the city of Harare.”
In August last year, the Government declared a state of disaster in solid waste management for Harare metropolitan province after the failure by the city fathers to provide adequate services.
