By Desire Tshuma
HARARE — For 30 years, NetOne has been known for connecting Zimbabweans through calls, data and mobile money. Now, the country’s leading telecommunications company is trying to connect them through something else: cleanliness.
Across the country, from Chinhoyi to Bindura, Harare CBD to Chitungwiza, Harare North to Bulawayo, Zvishavane to Mutare and Masvingo, NetOne teams have been out on the streets, picking up litter, engaging communities and pushing a simple but powerful message: a clean Zimbabwe starts with you.
The campaign is in support of the vision championed by Her Excellency, the First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, for cleaner, smarter and healthier communities. At its heart is a belief that is deeply African and deeply personal: the condition of our surroundings reflects who we are as a people.
Rooted in Ubuntu/Unhu, the First Lady’s message challenges every citizen to take pride in their homes, workplaces, streets and public spaces. Cleanliness, in this vision, is not just about sweeping a yard or picking up a plastic bottle. It is an expression of dignity, discipline and respect for others. It is about how we treat each other, and how we treat the country we call home.
NetOne says it is using its National Clean-Up Campaign activities to turn that vision into everyday action. The message to communities has been clear and consistent: do not litter, protect public waste bins, dispose of rubbish responsibly, reduce unnecessary waste, and embrace reuse and recycling.
Cleanliness must not end when a clean-up campaign concludes. It must become a daily responsibility, practised at home, at school, at church, in public transport and at the workplace. That is the shift NetOne is pushing for, from once-a-month clean-ups to a culture of cleanliness.
In Harare CBD, the company is working with the Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, fellow ICT sector players, the City of Harare and the Environmental Management Agency. In Bulawayo, it is engaging faith-based institutions through the Bulawayo Churches Clean-Up Drive, recognising the influential role churches play in shaping behaviour and mobilising communities.
Speaking on the initiative, NetOne Spokesperson, Mr Ernest Magadzire, said the First Lady continues to challenge Zimbabweans to build communities that reflect their dignity, Ubuntu and national pride.
He said Zimbabwe cannot aspire to smart communities while tolerating littering, vandalism of public waste bins and the neglect of shared spaces. At NetOne, he said, environmental responsibility begins with individual action, and every citizen must become a champion of cleanliness, protecting the environment not only during national clean-up exercises but every day.
The initiatives complement the National Clean-Up Campaign introduced by His Excellency, President Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, reinforcing Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 aspirations and the importance of collective responsibility in sustainable national development.
As NetOne celebrates 30 years of connecting Zimbabwe, it is making the case that meaningful connectivity is not just about network coverage. It is about bringing people together to build communities they can proudly call home.
The challenge now is for ordinary Zimbabweans to play their part. Do not litter. Protect public infrastructure. Keep your surroundings clean. Let Ubuntu define our communities.