Call on media to educate public on waste disposal

The call was made during a News Maker’s Forum on Friday by EMA provincial environmental manager for Matabeleland North, Mrs Chipo Mpofu-Zuze.
She said the media had an important role in the dissemination of information with regards to awareness on environmental  issues.
“We saw that it was important for us to meet the media. You have a role to play in order to make people aware of issues of the environment,” said Mrs Mpofu-Zuze.
She said the main challenge  was illegal waste dumps that were  in the city and that there was a need  to inform people on the importance of not polluting the environment.

“Pollution is on the increase and it’s a lack of knowledge on the part of people and we feel the media can do more to inform them on how to dispose of the waste,” said Mrs Mpofu-Zuze.
She said recycling was the  way forward and usage of domestic waste in making organic manure.

“A lot of waste can be used to be profitable. Domestic waste can be used to produce organic manure,” said Mrs Mpofu-Zuze.
When asked by one of the participants whether EMA was engaging Bulawayo City Council in combating pollution in the city she said the role of EMA was to monitor whether council by-laws were in          line with the national environmental laws.

“It is the mandate of the local authority to provide waste management in the city. The laws     they formulate should be in line with the national environmental laws. Our mandate is to monitor them,” said Mrs Mpofu-Zuze.

“We appreciate that the city  council cannot collect refuse like   it used to so we now have  community waste management programmes.”
Mrs Mpofu-Zuze said the programmes were bearing fruit as there was a significant reduction in illegal dumping in the areas they were involved in.

“We want to build a culture of waste management in Zimbabwe. In Nkulumane the residents are separating waste and taking it to National Waste. The amount of   illegal dumping has been reduced,” she said.