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Stop politicising clean up campaigns
Harare Residents Trust (HRT)
September 21, 2009

Residents in Harare are concerned by politicians who hi-jack community programmes meant to benefit residents to propel their political profiles. Last month, senior government officials including Vice President Joyce Mujuru launched the national clean up campaigns under much pomp and fanfare but the programme died a natural death because it was heavily politicised.

The HRT understands that some organisations and NGOs who wanted to fund the programme took a back seat after they realised that the government wanted to interfere in the coordination and allocation of the resources.

As a result the programme did not make an impact in most high density areas across the country as residents felt they were sidelined and did not participate in the so called clean up campaigns. Residents were supposed to own these programmes and encouraged to fully participate to rid their communities of refuse and uncollected garbage.

The HRT would like to make it clear that politicians should not interfere in community programmes meant to improve the lives of poor people but instead should help mobilise resources for such activities.

We are however urging all donor agencies and the business community to partner with residents and other community organisations to ensure that clean up campaigns are undertaken in these urban communities which are at the risk of experiencing disease outbreaks such as Cholera which is likely to resurface during the upcoming rain season.

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