BCC gets tough on open air worshippers

BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) has resolved to penalise apostolic sects for degrading the environment as they invade land to conduct open air worshipping where they also construct illegal structures risking an outbreak of diseases.

The council has said open air worshipping has become a major concern for the city with numerous enforcement and engagements not producing the desired results. There has been a growing trend where apostolic sects occupy virgin land across the city.

According to latest council minutes, Housing and Community Services director, Mr Dictor Khumalo, said his department conducted a survey between April and May to establish the nature and extent of open worshipping in the city and its environmental impact.

The research was also aimed at solving the problems that emanate from open air worshipping. Mr Khumalo said findings of the research established that there was rampant disregard of the protection of land laws by the apostolic sects involved in open air worshipping.

He said the apostolic sects operations were in violation of the by-laws, Regional Town and Country Planning Act, Environmental Management Agency Act.

“The open air worshippers were occupying council land without authority. The land was inaccessible, no potable water source and even sewer reticulation.

“All the urban requirements for a settlement were not available. There was land and social invasion,” reads the report.

“As a result, local communities have taken the law into their hands and this led to social disharmony, especially the paraphernalia hanged around the city.”

Mr Khumalo said their operations were also contributing to council losing revenue running into thousands of dollars through unpaid but occupied land. He said there could be undocumented abuse cases within the sectors that may go unknown.

Mr Khumalo said some of the worshippers had illegally constructed Blair toilets, which could fuel the outbreak of diseases during the rainy season.

“The research gave a snippet of the extent of environmental impact by the open air worshippers. There was room for further research as there could be more on the ground than what had been unravelled so far,” he said.

Mr Khumalo said going forward, all churches and prophets will be encouraged to register in terms of the country’s laws for control purposes by the relevant authorities and compliance through self-regulation.

He said apostolic churches were also encouraged to apply for church stands to establish places of worship, noting that a few have successfully done so in Entumbane and Selbourne Park where they have put up proper structures, which shows they can comply with the city by laws.

Mr Khumalo said council will deploy the Lands Inspectorate subsection to conduct educational awareness campaigns enlightening apostolic church and residents on council land management legislation and Environmental Management By-Laws.

“The Lands Inspectorate subsection of council to intensify patrols and enforce relevant By-Laws on open space worshippers,” he said.

“Apostolic churches to desist from mounting of flags, tents, clothes, banners and scary artefact displays such as knives on the environment as it is against the local culture of the residents of Bulawayo. These should be removed forthwith so as to maintain social harmony,” said Mr Khumalo.

“The BCC and the EMA to impose stipulated fines on apostolic churches found making ritual fires on the environment as it fuels veld fires, land degradation and threatens property and lives.”

Mr Khumalo said the planting of alien trees without council authority will be prohibited and that such trees would be removed to curb alien trees invasion in the city.

He also said respective communities through their wards community management structure should be vigilant in their areas against practices detailed in the report.

“The open spaces serve the communities as breathing spaces for the environment. The illegal toilets constructed without council authority will be removed to protect the residents from danger of diseases,” said Mr Khumalo.

“The unsightly dangerous and illegal structures constructed in violation of model building by-laws should be removed.

“All rituals and related paraphernalia on council land should be removed and the perpetrator to be fined in terms of the relevant council environmental bylaws.” — @nqotshili