MASERU - Nine months into a partnership that was signed between the Maseru City Council (MCC), street vendors and taxi operators to clean up the main bus stop areas as part of efforts to promote sustainable and resilient cities, MCC public relations manager is content with the pact.

'Makatleho Mosala said the partnership was proceeding so well that every vendor had a small box near their stall for customers to dispose of their garbage. Mrs Mosala said some taxis had stickers warning passengers not to eat while on board as they always leave their mess behind. She was however, still concerned about people who litter on the streets saying they had therefore started using all communication strategies to ensure that every Mosotho understood the importance of keeping both the city streets and the bus stop area clean.

In addition, she showed that there were some challenges which they were addressing, such as shop owners within the bus stop area who have created illegal dumping sites next to their businesses. “Such shop owners are supposed to pay for garbage removal but they seem reluctant to do so, hence they leave heaps and heaps of garbage outside their businesses,” she said. Through the partnership, she said both the street vendors and taxi operators through their respective associations had replaced leased contractors that the council used to engage in the past for garbage removal.