03/03/2026
CLEAN PEOPLE, DIRTY COUNTRY: Unpacking Zambia’s Waste Paradox
By Hope Nyambe
It is a scene that plays out across Zambia, from the bustling streets of Lusaka's townships to the central business district. You see men and women impeccably dressed in crisp ironed outfits, children in spotless school uniforms, and households scrubbed to a shine. Yet, just steps away from these pristine doorsteps, the contrast is jarring. Raw sewage trickles down open drains, mountains of uncollected garbage fester in the sun, and plastic waste dances in the wind, catching on fences and bushes. This is the great Zambian paradox: a population that takes immense pride in personal and domestic hygiene, seemingly oblivious to the filth engulfing their shared, public spaces. Simply put, we are a nation of clean people living in a dirty country. This irony is not just an aesthetic problem; it is a public health crisis, an environmental time bomb, and an indictment of our collective psyche.
The Root of the Rot
The problem is deeply embedded in a poor cultural attitude towards public spaces. For many, cleanliness is a private virtue. It ends at the front door or the property fence line. Once waste leaves the household, it becomes "someone else's problem." This mindset fuels the rampant littering seen across the country. It is common to see a person meticulously sweep their yard, only to throw the debris onto the roadside or into a nearby drain. Drivers will indiscriminately toss out rubbish from the windows of their moving cars. This practice, directly contradicts the need for responsible waste management and contributes to the clogging of drainage systems and the spread of disease. The "out of sight, out of mind" philosophy has turned our surroundings into vast, unregulated dumping grounds.
Exacerbating this cultural flaw is the gross inadequacy of waste collection services. In many urban and peri-urban areas, formal waste collection is either non-existent, unreliable, or too expensive for the average household. Garbage in some Lusaka neighborhoods for instance, can go uncollected for weeks. This is evident in the recent rains and subsequent flooding which brought a sea of all sorts of debris, mainly plastic waste. This service vacuum forces residents into desperate measures: illegal dumping in open spaces, burning waste which releases toxic fumes, or burying it. The lack of a structured system means that even citizens who wish to do the right thing often have nowhere to take their refuse, perpetuating the cycle of environmental degradation.
However, the most significant enabler of this national filth is the weak enforcement of legislation. Zambia is not short of environmental laws, but it is chronically short of the will to implement them. The result is a culture of impunity. When the state fails to penalize those who dump hazardous waste, or when businesses are allowed to operate without proper waste disposal plans, the message is clear: environmental laws are optional.
There are, however, glimmers of hope. In late 2025, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development announced a collaborative effort with the Zambia Police to enforce the Solid Waste Act, signaling a potential crackdown on offenders. Landmark ruling against environmental pollution such as the one involving Sino Metals Leach Zambia limited where a dam holding toxic waste collapsed, heavily polluting the surrounding areas and waterways, proves that robust legal action is possible when the political will exists. Yet, for every high-profile case, thousands of minor infractions—like dumping a bag of rubbish in a drain—go unnoticed and unpunished.
A Toolkit for Change: Awareness, Enforcement, and Identity
Transforming Zambia from a dirty country into one that matches the cleanliness of its people requires a multi-pronged strategy.
Firstly, there is an urgent need for massive, sustained awareness campaigns. While the "Keep Zambia Clean, Green and Healthy" campaign is a step in the right direction, it often devolves into performative cleaning exercises rather than instilling deep-seated behavioral change. Awareness must clearly outline the advantages of good waste management, like, preventing waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid, reducing breeding grounds for malaria-carrying mosquitoes, and even creating economic opportunities. Initiatives like those by Ebusaka, which use digital tools to connect households with recyclers and waste pickers, demonstrate that when people see the economic and communal value of a clean environment—such as providing dignified work for waste collectors—they are more motivated to participate.
Secondly, the renewed vigor for stiffer penalties must be more than just rhetoric. The collaboration between local councils and the police is welcome, but it must translate into visible consequences. A person caught illegally dumping waste should face a penalty that stings—whether a hefty fine or community service dedicated to cleaning up the very areas they polluted. This zero-tolerance approach must apply equally to individuals and corporations.
Ultimately, the most profound change needed is a cultural shift in how we define cleanliness. For generations, the concept of being "clean" in Zambia has been largely anthropocentric—focused on the self and the immediate family unit. This must evolve into a broader, more ecological view. Cleanliness must encompass the community, the neighborhood, and the nation. It means feeling the same discomfort at seeing a littered market as we would at seeing a dirty shirt. It requires redefining our identity so that a person cannot consider themselves truly "clean" if they contribute to a dirty country.
The sanitation crisis is not just about garbage; in places like Kabwe, it is a matter of life and death. There, over 95% of children near the former lead mine have elevated lead levels in their blood, a direct result of toxic waste from a mine that closed three decades ago never having been cleaned up. This extreme example is a stark warning of what happens when we neglect our environment.
The path forward is clear. We must bridge the gap between our clean selves and our dirty surroundings. By transforming our cultural mindset, fixing broken systems, and enforcing the law, we can finally build a Zambia that is as clean and healthy as the people who live in it.
About the Author: Hope Nyambe is a Communications Expert and Consultant.
