adminTrust Freddy
Herald Correspondent
The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has intensified its clean-up drive and crackdown on littering in Harare with over 360 people arrested and fined a minimum of US$30 for dumping litter at undesignated points as more than 200 volunteers back the agency by monitoring dumping and littering.
Offenders caught littering in undesignated areas are being fined between US$30 and US$100, depending on the level of the offence.
EMA spokesperson Ms Amkela Sidange this week confirmed that 364 litterbugs had been arrested since he start of the operation and Friday last week.
“The nature of penalties being imposed are fines as the laws are clear that one can be fined up to level three,” said Ms Sidange.
Some businesspeople operating from central Harare were fined for failing to provide litter bins on their premises.
“The fines went up to about US$500 for business premises but what is important to note is that this is an ongoing programme and it will be cascaded across the country.”
Ms Sidange hailed the anti-litter volunteering teams for driving the anti-litter campaign.
“The public has embraced the anti-litter monitoring initiative and you will find that across the country, almost each province and district now has groups of these anti-litter monitors who are volunteers. They are not on a salary, but they are just volunteers who have a passion for the environment and want to assist in waste management.
“However, we need to clarify that these volunteers are not there to clean after you. They are there to ensure the environment is always kept clean and we do not want to give the impression that with these volunteers, you can litter and someone will clean after you,” she said.
The Herald found most shops in the city centre had now heeded the call to install litter bins in front of their premises. Most roads that used to be characterised by garbage are now clean.
As early as 8am, the anti-litter monitoring team had already assembled at corner Leopold Takawira Street and Speke Avenue before being dispatched to different areas.
The team of over 200 volunteers moves in small groups, picking up litter and identifying litterbugs who they report to EMA officers.
For the past few weeks, the city centre has been cleaner and at around midday yesterday, The Herald observed anti-litter teams picking garbage and emptying bins along Sam Nujoma Street.
Before the intervention of EMA and the Government, the Harare City Council would go for days without emptying litter bins, giving citizens no reason to use bins.
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