Telecommunications giant NetOne has stepped up its environmental efforts by joining monthly national clean-up campaigns working with councils, schools, churches and environmental groups to promote cleaner and healthier communities.
The initiative follows President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s call for citizens and organisations to participate in clean-up campaigns held on the first Friday of every month.
For NetOne, the programme forms part of its wider environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments, with the company using its 30th anniversary celebrations to highlight its contribution to communities beyond telecommunications.
In Gokwe, NetOne employees joined forces with the Gokwe Town Council to clean public spaces and raise awareness about responsible waste management.
The company also partnered with the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and the Council of Churches in Bulawayo bringing together different stakeholders to promote environmental awareness and community participation.
In Masvingo, NetOne worked with Don Bosco Primary School involving pupils and employees in activities aimed at maintaining cleaner and healthier learning surroundings.
The company said the partnerships demonstrated the importance of cooperation between businesses, local authorities, schools, religious organisations and communities in addressing environmental challenges.
NetOne spokesperson Ernest Magadzire said the clean-up campaign reflected the company’s broader responsibility to the communities it serves.
“As NetOne celebrates 30 years of connecting Zimbabwe, we recognise that meaningful connectivity extends beyond telecommunications. It is also about connecting communities to a shared responsibility for the environment in which we live and work,” Magadzire said.
He said the monthly campaigns were helping the company turn its ESG commitments into practical action.
“By answering the call to participate in monthly clean-up campaigns, we are turning our ESG commitments into action while working alongside local authorities, environmental partners, churches and communities to create cleaner and healthier spaces for all,” he said.
The clean-up activities are also being used to encourage employees and members of the public to take greater responsibility for their surroundings.
NetOne said environmental stewardship was an important component of its community development efforts, alongside stakeholder engagement and responsible corporate citizenship.
As the company marks three decades of operations in Zimbabwe, it said its contribution to national development would continue to extend beyond providing telecommunications services.
The company said sustainable development required collective action and continued collaboration between communities, businesses, government institutions and other stakeholders.
Its monthly clean-up programme is expected to continue across the country as NetOne seeks to link its 30th anniversary theme with efforts to promote cleaner and more sustainable communities.
NetOne @30: Three decades of connecting Zimbabwe, creating impact and supporting a cleaner future.
