If you value your city, you will not throw your rubbish on the sidewalk
A small army of city cleaners was spotted in Klein Windhoek on Thursday morning as they systematically combed sidewalks and public spaces for debris, as part a clean-up drive funded by MTC, the City of Windhoek, the EIF and NamibRe.
Speaking on behalf of the partners, MTC stated that the clean-up is part of a strategy to make the city once again, the cleanest capital in Africa. Together with the City, the Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) and Namibia National Reinsurance Corporation, an amount of N$775,000 has been pledged to cover the costs of an extensive 3-month city sweep.
From MTC’s coffers comes N$400,000, from the City N$200,000, from the EIF N$100,000 and from the re-insurer the final N$75,000 in addition to sponsoring a tree planting campaign.
MTC’s Chief Human Capital and Corporate Affairs Officer, Tim Ekandjo, said “We need to change people’s minds and hearts about cleanliness. Hence, this campaign is not a one-day event where we clean up and go. We want it to be different in the sense that it changes our mindsets about how we see cleanliness and what our responsibilities are.”
“We therefore call on every Namibian, and not just Windhoek residents, to play a part in making [the whole] Namibia a clean country,” he continued.
City Mayor, Her Worship Sade Gawanas reminded Windhoek residents of responsible waste disposal. “As residents and ratepayers, we must value [our city] and remember that her beauty and long-term sustainability depend on us all uniting, to move away from a culture of illegal dumping and littering, and move to a more environmentally sensitive culture and adoption of a circular economy model.”
Similarly, NamibRe’s Elizabeth Nailenge emphasised the importance of cleanliness, and respecting and protecting the environment through sustainable initiatives to preserve the environment.
