President Mnangagwa commends PHD Ministries for clean-up

Harare (New Ziana)- President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Saturday hailed PHD Ministries church for mobilizing its congregants to clean up the Harare central business district.

In a speech read on his behalf by Vice President Kembo Mohadi, President Mnangagwa said the initiative was the first by a church in the country, and should be emulated.

“This is a noble initiative from you Prophet Walter Magaya of the PHD Ministries. I am happy that in line with the dictates of the bible on cleanliness, one of our own churches has managed to mobilize people to clean-up the city of Harare,” he said.

“This initiative is even more relevant especially now that we have a cholera outbreak in Harare. We thus need to make our environment clean in order to survive this cholera menace.”

President Mnangagwa said it was his hope that the initiative will be the basis of the restoration of the sunshine city status Harare once had.

He said the PHD Ministries’ initiative should be emulated by other organizations.

“Let me emphasize that community participation in cleaning the environment remains central to our general well-being and development,” he said.

“A clean environment is important for public health and general well-being. Without a clean environment we will have a sick nation which is costly to manage. A sick nation takes away resources that were meant to prosper a nation through importation of drugs and diverts a nation’s focus on critical issues of development.”

President Mnangagwa also paid tribute to waste collectors, saying they made a huge contribution to keeping Harare and other cities clean.

Harare mayor, Jacob Mafume thanked PHD Ministries for organizing Saturday’s clean-up, and hailed government intervention in the city’s waste management program.

“PHD Ministries has shown a good example which should not only be followed by other churches but other institutions and organizations,” he said.

“I would also like to thank the government for the timely intervention in helping the City of Harare manage its waste in this time when cholera is wreaking havoc countrywide. This intervention is not competition but its complementary and we applaud this.

“City of Harare also appreciates the USD 2 million received from the central government to date to buy water treatment chemicals in order to provide clean water to residents,” he said.

PHD Ministries founder Walter Magaya said it was not only the church’s role to preach cleanliness spiritually but physically as well.

“Cleanliness is next to Godliness not only spiritually but physically as well. We saw it befitting to organize church members to clean-up Harare’s CBD at a time cholera has been claiming lives of many people

“This is also in line with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s goals for cleanliness and smart cities in line with the country’s 2030 vision,” he said.

New Ziana