adminAppearing before Masvingo magistrate Ms Dorothy Mwanyisa this week, the local authority which was represented by Mr Tawanda Gozo pleaded not guilty to the charge of deliberately discharging raw sewage into Shakashe River.
They were, however, found guilty of contravening Section 5(1) of the Environmental Management Act: Chapter 20; 27.
For the State, Ms Moreblessing Rusere told the court that on an unknown date but sometime in October 2009 EMA officer, Mr Doubt Mhizha discovered that Masvingo City Council was discharging raw sewage from Rujeko pump station into Shakashe River.
The court heard that Mr Mhizha went on to issue an order on 14 October 2009 compelling the local authority to stop discharging the sewage into the river but they ignored the order and continued discharging the sewage effluent.
The court further heard that in June 2010 Mr Mhizha, in the company of two police officers and Ms Memory Thabani, went to the site, but discovered that the local authority had not yet stopped polluting the river.
No effort had been made to stop the pollution regardless of the EMA order against the practice until October 2011 when EMA took the matter to court.
In defence the local authority argued that they informed EMA of their willingness to rectify the problem but incessant power cuts made it impossible but Ms Mwanyisa considered that they had been warned several times and did nothing to rectify the problem.
Online Reporter