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Michell Zvanyanya, Chronicle Reporter
THE Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has embarked on a national anti-littering campaign under which litterbugs and people found using banned kaylite food containers face fines of up to $600.
The Environmental Management Act provides for repeat offenders to be taken to court where they may face level 14 fines of $30 000 and up to a year in prison.
The exercise is aimed at promoting cleanliness in the country ahead of the rainy season.
It started on Monday in Harare where people found littering have been fined up to $100 and is set to spread to the rest of the country on Monday next week.
EMA will be carrying out inspections throughout the country and raising awareness on negative impacts of littering. In an interview yesterday, EMA national spokesperson, Ms Amkela Sidange said the campaign seeks to combat risks of outbreak of diseases during the rainy season associated with waste mismanagement.
Ms Sidange said the campaign involves a prosecution exercise where anyone found throwing litter in an undesignated area will be fined. She said the drastic measure seeks to remind members of the public that it is an offence for one to be found littering.
“Among the 20 tickets we recorded in Harare, about eight people were found dumping litter at undesignated areas and 12 people were found using plastic takeaway containers which were banned in the country. Those who have been issued tickets have been fined from level one to level three. Level one defaulters pay a fine of RTGS$ 40 and those in level three pay a fine of RTGS$100. For a repeat offender the levels can go up to level five ($600).”
“In as much as we have been creating awareness, we also need to involve statutes we have in the country through prosecution. According to section 83 of the Environmental Management Act it is a punishable offence to throw litter at an undesignated point. On Monday we were able to do about 60 inspections in Harare and from the inspections we issued out 20 tickets and this means that in just one day we recorded 20 defaulters who are not practising cleanliness in the country,” said Ms Sidange.
She said the campaign also seeks to build up on the November national clean-up day. “As we are approaching the rainy season we need to live in a very clean environment. We have therefore embarked on an anti-littering blitz to promote the culture of cleanliness among members of the public now that we are heading towards the rainy season. We want to discourage people from throwing litter in undesignated areas which is a practice that may give rise to outbreak of diseases such as cholera and typhoid associated with the rainy season and waste mismanagement. As a nation we can be able to prevent those diseases through cleanliness,” she said.
She said the November clean-up will focus on motorists and public transport commuters to promote cleanliness on the roads. — @michellzvanyanyan2
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