STATE-owned converged telecommunications company TelOne donated 100 litter bins and water tanks in Mabvuku on Thursday as part of their efforts to envision a clean healthy environment.
By Kudakwashe Pembere
Speaking on behalf of TelOne’s Managing Director Mrs Chipo Mutasa was Corporate Services Director Mr Hopewell Zinyau who said they have taken the program in 13 cities.
“As some of you may already be aware, TelOne has defined Environmental management as a key thematic area for our corporate social investment programming. As such we have, since 2016 been involved in several initiatives aimed at contributing to sustainable environmental management. Chief among these initiatives has been the ‘Provide-A-Bin’ Programme whose main aim is to support clean cities through providing litter receptacles. This programme has so far taken us to 13 cities, towns and district centres where we have donated almost 5000 litter bins collectively,” he said.
Mrs Mutasa said the Provide A Bin has been taken to high density areas.
“Today we are happy to announce that having donated bins to most of these major centres around Zimbabwe, we have now started targeting shopping centres in residential areas. To this end, we are happy to have Mabvuku and Tafara as our second stop with a donation of 100 litter bins following a similar gesture in Highfield just last week,” she said. “We want to continue to strengthen our role as a major player in the cleaning of our country hence we make sure that in any place where we donate bins, we conduct a clean-up and engage members of the community who contribute to the cause through making good use of the bins, protecting the bins and sustaining the initiative of organised clean-ups.”
She also said this program comes on the backdrop of the cholera crisis which claimed 50 lives.
“Your Worship, this bin donation bring the total bins donated to Harare City to 700 to date. We would like to emphasize our commitment to supporting the well-being of residents even in light of diseases like cholera which reigned havoc in Harare a few months ago killing at least 50 people,” said Mrs Mutasa.
Aside from the litter bins the company also handed over water tanks .
“While we made our contributions then in response to the crisis, we are happy to announce that TelOne has adopted Mabvuku and Tafara which are high risk areas for such outbreaks due to the perennial water challenges, for our preventative initiatives. To that effect, we are again pleased today to be officially handing over water tanks that we have already mounted at Chizhanje Shopping Centre, Makwavarara Shops, Matongo Shops and here at Kamunhu Shopping Centre here in Mabvuku and Tafara. We have further committed to sponsor the delivery of water at least 3 times a week during dry times and in partnership with council, we hope other partners may also be able to support the water deliveries and make use of these same tanks,” said the TelOne boss.
The cumulative cost of the bins and tanks was $20 000.
“This donation together with the litter bins comes at a cost of at least $20,000 and we commit to continue to invest in this cause in support of the City’s vision of achieving a World Class City Status by 2025,” she said.
