00:01On Kinshasa streets, the groups of men in their distinctive blue overalls and bright
00:07yellow rubber boots are everywhere. They are former gang members drafted into the
00:14national service and they have one mission, getting the city's litter problem under control.
00:20It's much to the joy of the residents.
00:26The activities relating to sanitation in the city are truly commendable. I'm generally
00:32proud of them, given the involvement of the national service in sanitation and environmental
00:36protection here in the city province of Kinshasa. It's something that deserves recognition,
00:42encouragement and, if necessary, more resources, so it can be extended to the neighbourhoods.
00:49We really mustn't limit ourselves to the main arteries of the capital.
00:58The cleaning crews, known as the builders, have been praised for improving streets and
01:03spaces in a vast city that has no public bins. But often they only tackle a symptom of the
01:10problem, not the root cause.
01:14They do a good job, but when they leave, some people put the rubbish back again. So I'd like
01:21them to stay permanently in all the places where they work. Because we've seen in Canggu
01:27how they stay here, in the public square sitting on chairs. And since they stay there, people
01:34are afraid to throw rubbish onto the road.
01:39But the builders' own behaviour is also under scrutiny. They are accused of violence towards
01:44citizens that may be engaging in anti-social behaviours. Some observers have also criticised
01:50their recruitment process, which remains opaque.
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