By Fanuel Chinowaita
NetOne Cellular is expanding its nationwide clean-up campaigns in support of First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa’s drive for cleaner, healthier and smarter communities, urging Zimbabweans to make environmental responsibility part of their daily lives.
The telecommunications company is conducting environmental awareness and clean-up activities in Chinhoyi, Bindura, Harare CBD, Chitungwiza, Harare North, Bulawayo, Zvishavane, Mutare and Masvingo.
The initiatives seek to promote responsible waste management, discourage littering and encourage communities to protect public infrastructure, including waste bins.
NetOne said cleanliness should extend beyond organised clean-up campaigns, with individuals expected to maintain their homes, workplaces and public spaces.
The company’s environmental drive is anchored on the First Lady’s advocacy for community cleanliness, which draws on the African philosophy of Ubuntu/Unhu, emphasising dignity, discipline and collective responsibility.
NetOne Public Relations Manager Ernest Magadzire said lasting environmental change required individuals to take responsibility for their surroundings.
“Her Excellency, the First Lady, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, continues to champion a vision that challenges us to build communities reflecting our dignity, Ubuntu and national pride. We cannot aspire to smart communities while tolerating littering, vandalism of public waste bins and the neglect of shared spaces,” said Magadzire.
“At NetOne, we believe environmental responsibility begins with individual action. Every citizen must become a champion of cleanliness, protecting the environment not only during national clean-up exercises but every day.”
In Harare’s central business district, NetOne is working with the Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, other players in the telecommunications sector, the City of Harare and the Environmental Management Agency.
In Bulawayo, the company is engaging faith-based institutions through the Bulawayo Churches Clean-Up Drive, using churches to promote responsible citizenship and community participation.
The campaigns complement the National Clean-Up Campaign introduced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa and support the country’s Vision 2030 aspirations for sustainable national development.
NetOne, which is celebrating 30 years of connecting Zimbabwe, said its environmental initiatives were part of efforts to bring communities together and encourage citizens to take pride in their surroundings.
The company urged Zimbabweans to avoid littering, protect public infrastructure, reduce waste and embrace reuse and recycling as part of everyday life.