19 Jun 2025

North West councillors have resolved to engage the business community and the public in a cleanup campaign to create a clean and healthy environment.

The cleanup campaign will include litter picking, road and pavement sweeping, vegetation control and culvert desilting among others to ensure an attractive environment.

This follows the local authority councillors’ concern by the magnitude of dirt in Maun, which was somehow translating to lack of accountability on their part as the authority mandated to manage refuse, keep the environment clean and by so doing preserve natural beauty.

Despite efforts made by council to collect and manage litter, the village was untidy, therefore they appealed to all stakeholders to join hands in waste management.

Responding to the chairperson’s address at the ongoing full council meeting, councillors were of the consensus that through collective efforts, Maun would remain the best tourism destination.

Councillor for Matlapana/Shorobe ward, Mr Kobamelo Baikgodisi said the cleanup campaign was possible to do with a minimal budget by engaging Ipelegeng workers, the business community and members of the public.

Mr Baikgodisi encouraged council to come up with impactful strategies such as organising regular cleanup activities. 

He said the residents must be encouraged to reduce littering and illegal dumping of waste.

He added that the business community should also be encouraged to be part of the area’s beautification efforts.

Mr Baikgodisi also called for maintenance of Maun/Shorobe road, which was in a poor state, yet it connected key tourism areas such Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park.

Councillor for Kareng/Qhorotsha ward, Mr Keapoletswe Keapoletswe said the situation was exacerbated by illegal and indiscriminating of garbage disposal, adding that stray animals such as dogs, cattle and donkeys were a challenge as they freely roamed the streets and shopping malls in Maun.

Mr Keapoletswe said cleanliness was an integral element of good living and health.  He emphasised the need to empower communities in coming up with sustainable solutions to a clean and habitable environment. He said promoting of reuse and recycling was critical in maintaining the environment.

For his part, deputy council chairperson, Mr Vepaune Moreti said cleanliness should starts at home. 

“This therefore means that we are to engage with our communities to desist from defacing this pristine natural beauty. Let us all take responsibility of our environment,” he said.

On improving litter-picking services, Mr Moreti said council had procured a skip truck.

Mr Moreti also appealed to councillors to encourage the business community and members of the community to deposit waste at the gazetted landfill as it was a public facility. ENDS