adminWalter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
TWO major private abattoirs in Masvingo face closure for pollution following allegations that they are disposing solid waste into Mucheke River, according to the latest council minutes. Montana Meats and Carswell Meats have come under fire from both the Masvingo City Council and the Environment Management Agency (EMA) for disturbing aquatic life.
EMA has threatened to close the two abattoirs’ until they comply with the law.
According to the latest council minutes, the City Engineer Tawanda Gozo was instructed to ensure that the pollution is stopped as a matter of urgency.
Masvingo Town Clerk Adolph Gusha told Chronicle that the two companies have previously been warned over the pollution.
“We are having a problem with Carswell and Montana Meats in terms of waste disposal. It seems they do not have effective waste management mechanisms despite having warned them on several occasions.
“It is always incumbent upon companies to have waste management plans to avoid pollution of the environment,” he said.
EMA provincial manager Milton Musha said river pollution was a very serious offence.
“We will move in with haste to investigate the extent of pollution caused by the abattoirs.
“Once we find that there is a problem we will advise the concerned companies accordingly. Obviously when they are caught on the wrong side of the Environment Act, they will get fined.
“We can simply stop the operations until there is a sound waste management plan,” said Musha.
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