Dedza district commissioner Rosemary Nawasha has urged shop owners to embrace sanitation and hygiene to keep their surroundings clean.
She said this on Saturday when she launched a cleanup exercise following President Peter Mutharika’s Executive order to keep public spaces clean.
Nawasha said shop owners in the district are failing on the hygiene aspect in their places.
She said: “We have seen that cleanliness is not being maintained.
“We will issue a letter to them [shop owners] to take care of their surroundings. If they do not, then we will close the shop until they clean the surrounding.”
Dedza Boma legislator Howard Mzambweulemba (independent) committed to ensure residents practise hygiene.
“I am pleased to see many people showing interest in the cleanup exercise,” he said.
Senior Chief Kamenyagwaza said he participated in the cleanup exercise to set an example to people to maintain cleanliness in their places.
“I want to encourage communities to take care of themselves and their surroundings,” he said.
Dedza District Council chairperson Joseph Kwenda pledged to continue with such initiatives to make Dedza clean.
He said they will continue sensitising residents in the district to the importance of keeping their surroundings clean.
On his part, Dedza Boma resident Chisomo Ali said it was encouraging to see community leaders and duty-bearers united to clean the market.
“They sent a strong signal to us residents to follow suit,” he said.
During the cleanup exercise at Dedza Market, NBS Bank donated shovels to the council to help towards the cleanup exercise.
