Lusaka Mayor Calls for Citizen Action on Environmental Cleanliness

By Alain Kabinda

Lusaka Mayor Chitambala Mwewa has called on Zambians to take personal responsibility for keeping their surroundings clean, saying environmental protection should not be left to councils and Government alone.

Mr Mwewa said lasting improvements in the country’s environmental conditions would only be achieved when citizens actively participated in maintaining clean communities instead of merely talking about the need for cleanliness.

“In order to change our country, we have to start from a place of participation. As citizens, all of us have to participate in making sure that our environments are clean, our surroundings are clean, and we are actively doing that, not just lip service,” he said.

The Mayor was speaking during an event linked to Zambia’s Elephant Charge, an annual off-road motorsport event that combines adventure with fundraising for wildlife conservation and environmental education.

Mr Mwewa said environmental responsibility should become part of everyday life, arguing that people needed to be deliberately educated about how their actions affect their surroundings.

“We have to educate our people. If we don't start from a place of education, which means enlightening them, it won't happen because it's automatic, no. It will happen because we are deliberate about teaching our people a better way,” he said.

He said civic leaders should also give greater attention to cleanliness because of its direct connection to public health.

“We cannot do anything if we don't start from cleanliness. Health is the number one vantage point,” Mr Mwewa said.

He said citizens needed to develop a culture of cleanliness and understand that protecting the environment was a shared responsibility.

“We have to turn our people into believers of cleanliness, and it's possible to do,” he said.

The Elephant Charge provides a unique platform for combining motorsport with environmental conservation.

Established in Zambia in 2008 and inspired by Kenya’s Rhino Charge, the event brings together 4x4 teams to navigate challenging bush terrain while attempting to cover the shortest possible distance between designated checkpoints.

Unlike conventional motorsport competitions where speed is the primary objective, teams participating in the Elephant Charge are required to plan routes, navigate difficult terrain and work together to recover vehicles and undertake repairs when mechanical problems occur.

The competition typically involves rivers, rocky terrain, steep slopes and thick bush, with the location kept secret until shortly before the event.

However, beyond the spectacle of vehicles battling difficult terrain, the Elephant Charge has a wider conservation objective.

Funds raised through the event are channelled through grants to Zambian organisations working in wildlife conservation and environmental education.

Since its establishment, the event has reportedly raised close to US$2 million, supporting initiatives aimed at protecting Zambia’s natural environment and educating communities about conservation.

Mr Mwewa said such initiatives were important but stressed that environmental protection could not depend entirely on organised campaigns.

He said the long-term solution required ordinary citizens to make cleanliness and environmental responsibility part of their daily lives.

The Mayor said a cleaner environment would not only improve the appearance of communities but would also contribute to better public health and the overall wellbeing of citizens.