Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
GOVERNMENT has gazetted Statutory Instrument 229 of 2023 to Gwanda Rural District Council (Environmental and Natural Resources Conservation) by-laws for 2023 which will help the local authority conserve natural resources and increase its revenue.
The by-laws replace archaic laws which date back to the 1990s. The new laws will help the council to manage prevailing activities that affect the conservation of environmental and natural resources.
In an interview, Gwanda Rural Council chief executive officer, Mr Ranganai Sibanda said there is a lot of exploitation of natural resources in the district, which they could not regulate.
“The new by-laws come as a huge relief for us. We can now work on implementing them, working closely with various partners. There have been many economic activities that have been taking place in the district such as collection of river sand, brick moulding and mopane worm harvesting but as council we haven’t been getting any revenue from these activities,” he said.
“We have been using archaic by-laws which were crafted way before some of these activities became rampant. The current by-laws are more detailed and specific which will make their implementation easier.”
Some of the environmental issues that will be addressed include grazing areas, cultivation areas, conservation of natural resource areas, waste management sites, environmental rehabilitation works on abandonment of projects, burning of vegetation, prevention of fires and protection of wetlands.
Others include cutting of trees, and forest produce, the collection or removal of gravel, stones, river sand and pit sand. The by-laws also seek to regulate issues surrounding commercial timber logging, protection of wildlife and indigenous plants, solid and effluent waste management, waste management plans, hazardous substances and toxic chemicals among others.
“It’s hereby notified that the Minister of Local Government and Public Works has, in terms of section 90 of the Rural District Councils Act [Chapter 29:13], approved the following by-laws made by the Gwanda Rural District Council. These by-laws may be cited as the Gwanda Rural District Council Environmental and Natural Resources Conservation By-laws, 2023,” reads the SI.
According to the SI, under grazing areas, council may specify the maximum number of livestock which may be grazed in that area, which owner or owners or community may graze livestock in a specific grazing area and the maximum number of livestock or the maximum number of different types of livestock which each owner may graze in a specific grazing area.
Concerning the management of waste in the council area, the plan shall specify the areas designated as waste management sites in the council area, the types of waste generated and measures to recycle or reuse the waste.
With regards to environmental rehabilitation works on the abandonment of the project, any person who undertakes any project for commercial exploitation of natural resources including mining projects, or resource extraction projects with the effect of causing environmental damage or environmental degradation or harm in the council area shall submit to the council a rehabilitation plan containing rehabilitation works that will be undertaken before abandonment or closure of the project.
“No person shall cut down trees in the council area except for the collection and removal of dead wood for firewood, cutting of tree branches for building houses, keeping livestock and other domestic uses and land clearing for agricultural purposes. No person is allowed to harvest, collect or pick fruits or other forest produce for sale in the council area, except in terms of a permit issued in terms of the Communal Forest Produce Act [Chapter 19:04],” read the SI.
According to the new by-laws, any person who is involved in commercial exploitation or collection for sale of forest produce is required to notify the council in writing.
In terms of collection or removal of gravel, stones, river sand and pit sand, no person shall excavate, remove, possess, transport or licence the removal of sand, stones and pit sand, slate, pebbles, clay and lime for commercial purposes without seeking a permit from council and furnishing council with a licence obtained from the Environmental Management Agency issued in terms of section 3 of the Environmental Management (Environmental Impact Assessment and Ecosystems Protection) Regulations, 2007.
Any person who contravenes any provision of these by-laws shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine specified by order of council. — @DubeMatutu
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