Online Reporter
Don Makanyanga
Herald Correspondent
PARLIAMENT’S Environment and Wildlife Portfolio Committee has urged the Government to impose tougher penalties against water polluters, warning that rising contamination is threatening public health, damaging ecosystems and undermining national economic development.
Speaking at an Environment–Water Policy Dialogue organised by the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA), Mutasa Central legislator (Zanu PF) and committee member Innocent Benza said Zimbabwe’s water resources were under severe pressure from untreated sewage, industrial effluent and agricultural runoff.
“We have been reminded that Zimbabwe’s water resources are under intense pressure from untreated sewage, industrial effluent and agricultural runoff,” he said.
“This pollution threatens public health, undermines economic development and compromises our environmental heritage.
“Strengthening our water pollution laws and the systems that enforce them is therefore urgent and essential.”
Benza called for stiffer, deterrent penalties to ensure full compliance, including the “polluter pays” principle covering clean-up and rehabilitation costs.
He also urged industries and high-risk facilities to adopt real-time monitoring systems, while calling on local authorities to upgrade old sewage infrastructure and comply fully with national effluent standards.
“It must therefore be made mandatory that industries and high-risk facilities adopt real-time monitoring systems, and that local authorities upgrade outdated sewage infrastructure, ring-fence revenue and comply fully with national effluent standards,” he said.
“As Parliament, through our oversight function, we have visited hotspot ‘time bombs’ in Harare and Chitungwiza, and we are seized with the matter.”
Water pollution in Zimbabwe is largely driven by industrial waste, agricultural chemicals, sewage discharge and mining activities, with major water bodies such as the Zambezi River, Lake Kariba and several urban rivers being the most affected.
