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Harare City Council has been fined $10 000 for polluting the environment and engaging in practices harmful to the health of residents. The city was also ordered to improve management mechanisms at Pomona dumpsite by compacting the site every fortnight, manage the breeding of vectors, erect or install a barrier around the perimeter fence into the decommissioning and after-care stages of the site after appearing before the Environmental Management Agency Board.
Fire outbreaks at Pomona dumpsite have become a perennial problem.
Council officials, Environment Management Committee chairperson Councillor Herbert Gomba, director of Works Engineer Phillip Pfukwa, acting chamber secretary Mr Charles Kandemiri and acting Harare Water director Eng Hosiah Chisango had pleaded guilty to not having enough containers or places which will normally be adequate and suitable for discarding litter, not frequently collecting waste and non-compliance with EMA.
The local authority was convicted after failing to defend its conduct of discharging raw sewage into the city’s river systems, but was acquitted of not licensing sand and clay abstraction.
On the issue of issuing development permits in wetlands, EMA said it will be guided by a decision pending before the Administrative Court.
In passing sentence, EMA board chairperson Ambassador Zenzo Nsimbi said the city had pleaded guilty to three counts showing contrition and that the board was alive to efforts the city was trying to remedy the inadequacies pertaining to charges brought against them.
He ordered council to ensure the provision of adequate bins and waste receptacles in an around the city to encourage proper disposal of solid waste as well as enforce by-laws against littering and put in a place a dedicated municipal police unit for the enforcement of such by-laws.
The city was also ordered to clear all existing illegal dumps.
On discharging raw sewerage, the city was ordered to submit a comprehensive plan within one month on how it intends to tackle the effluent and sewer discharges including plans to deal with the ever expanding population.
“From their response to the summons, there is an indication that there is improvement in certain areas for example the number of bins has been increased from the initial 262 that had been counted during EMA’s survey mid-March 2016 to the current 452 which, the accused indicated have installed.”
“However, it is important to note that littering and proliferation of solid waste dumps is still visible in and around the city.
“The accused submitted in their response to the summons that their vehicles constantly breakdown and that the residents exhibited bad behaviour as a result dumps always resurface.”
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