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Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
The promised Statutory Instrument that will make the national clean-up programme compulsory for State entities and all businesses including vendors will soon be gazetted, Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Mangaliso Ndlovu told the National Assembly on Wednesday.
Cabinet approved the measure last week.
President Mnangagwa launched the national clean-up programme in December 2018 based on moral persuasion urging all citizens to clean their environment between 8am and 10 am on the first Friday of every month.
Delivering a ministerial statement on measures that the Government was taking to address the issue of poor waste management that has affected communities across the country, Minister Ndlovu said while notable progress had been made since the introduction of the programme, it was time to back it up through law.
“I wish to advise that the main import of this ministerial statement is to update Parliament and the nation at large on the measures that Government has approved to curb the unsustainable accumulation of waste,” he said.
“First, is that a Statutory Instrument being promulgated to make National Clean-up Programme compulsory for Government ministries, departments and agencies, local authorities, the business sector, vendors, retailers and manufacturers. Second, that local authorities should localise this Statutory Instrument by promulgating relevant by-laws.
“Third, that fines collected by local authorities from residents with respect to waste management be ring fenced in order to ensure that these authorities do not divert the funds to other uses and the Environmental Management Agency will be supervising the use of these funds. Fourth, is that deterrent fines for public littering will be introduced and enforced and repeat offenders charged with no option of a fine but given mandatory community service.”
The fifth measure would compel road and rail authorities to ensure that road and rail servitudes are litter free and to undertake regular clean-ups along servitudes and at lay-bys.
Public transport vehicles that dump waste along roads would be fined up to level 8 with respect to transport operator or owner also being liable while political parties would be required to mobilise their supporters to remove their campaign materials from the environment and that it is properly disposed of with the assistance of local authorities.
Minister Ndlovu said streets in most urban areas were infested with all kinds of waste including glass bottles, paper, plastic, light bulbs, diapers and medicinal waste while illegal dumps have become the norm and, in some cases, they sit right in the middle of the road in high density areas.
“The last critical intervention is that massive awareness and education programmes be undertaken starting with a relaunch of the national clean-up programme in order to embed a mindset against littering and general disorder.
“It is therefore important that this esteemed institution, the Parliament of Zimbabwe, takes a leading role, particularly for my colleagues, Honourable Members of Parliament, to lead our respective communities in cleaning the environment and more importantly, in making sure that adequate measures are put in place to ensure that the environment continues to be clean.”
In August, President Mnangagwa declared the deplorable state of waste management in Harare Metropolitan Province, a state of disaster and directed EMA to take over the role of waste management from local authorities in the province.
Online Reporter