Bulawayo singled out as litter hotspot in explosive Parliament clash

A routine question on government policy to curb plastic littering turned into drama in Parliament last week after the Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife urged legislators to “educate our people, especially in Bulawayo”, a remark that led to the ejection of an opposition MP from the House. The exchange unfolded during question time when Tendeukai Matara, a Proportional Representation MP for Masvingo, asked the minister to outline government policy on controlling plastic waste, citing its economic and environmental impact. In her response, Environment Minister, Dr Evelyn Ndlovu, acknowledged plastic littering had become widespread across the country and warned of its harmful effects on ecosystems and livestock.

“Plastic littering is prevalent in the country and the last time I spoke here, I also raised concerns about littering by all of us,” she said. “The majority of our people are littering, yet they are actually aware that plastic littering is damaging our environment. It also damages our livestock because if they eat that plastic, most of them die.” Dr Ndlovu had brought a reusable flask into the chamber as a prop, arguing that behaviour change was central to tackling the crisis.

“I am carrying this flask to this Honourable House to demonstrate to all of us that, if only Parliament could put up a container outside, we can only stop littering if we do not use these plastic bottles and we use containers,” she said. She added Zimbabwe currently lacks sufficient production of thin, biodegradable plastics that dissolve easily and is still reliant on hard plastics. “Unfortunately, we do not have enough thinner plastics that are disposable, that can easily dissolve.

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We still have hard plastics as a country and we are working towards banning them to make sure that littering is stopped,” she said. However it was her call for targeted civic education that sparked uproar. “We must educate our people on the dangers of plastics.

We must, as Hon. Members of Parliament, educate our people, especially in Bulawayo,” Dr Ndlovu said. Bulawayo is Zimbabwe’s second-largest city, and often features prominently in national political discourse, as references to it can carry symbolic weight.

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