Teaming up to keep Katima Mulilo clean

KATIMA MULILO mayor Georgina Mwiya-Simataa says it is very important for the town to be clean because it is strategically situated as the gateway to four African countries.

She made this remark at the official launch of the “Team up 2 Clean Up” campaign on Friday at the Katima Mulilo open market.

The “Team up 2 Clean Up” initiative is spearheaded by the mayor’s office, and aims to improve the image of the town, promoting healthy living and attracting potential investors to the town.

The launch was attended by heads of government institutions, local business owners, employees of tertiary institutions, the police, and members of the public.

“Considering the topography of our town, surrounded by rivers and bordering four different countries, it is vital that we keep it clean at all times.

We do not only want to be a gateway, but to also attract investors to our beautiful town,” she noted.

Mwiya-Simataa said the campaign aims to improve environmental awareness, while the attraction of investors will definitely play a big role in the reduction of youth unemployment, as stipulated in the Harambee Prosperity Plan.

“To our residents, let us contribute to the growth of this town. We acknowledge that our resources are limited, but let us make use of the little we have. Utilise the provided bins to dispose of waste, instead of littering.”

She added that although the campaign will only focus on the central business district for now, it will soon be extended to the residential areas.

“The office of the chief executive officer will soon introduce a competition in our suburbs for the cleanest suburb.

This will be an ongoing activity, and the suburb that is chosen as the cleanest shall be awarded a floating trophy and a prize as well,” she stated.

The chief executive officer of the Katima Mulilo town council, Raphael Liswaniso, said they hope to raise awareness on the negative impact littering has on the environment.

“This programme is essentially an environmental awareness campaign that attempts to encourage residents to take a more proactive role in caring for our environment. We hope to become the cleanest town in Namibia by ensuring that our environment is clean and healthy to live in,” he stressed.