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Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
There is need to equip people with skills of recycling waste as part of efforts to enhance human capital development to generate income in fulfilment of Zim-Asset, Zanu-PF deputy secretary for Environment and Tourism, Cde Auxillia Mnangagwa has said.
Cde Mnangagwa said this was consistent with the environmental policy objective that also sought to keep the environment clean. She said this at Zanu-PF headquarters while addressing hundreds of women and stakeholders in waste management who included Harare City Council, Environmental Management Agency among others.
“Recycling can actually be employed as a sustainable alternative of generating money and at the same time contributing to poverty eradication without losing sight of the imperative to keep our urban environment clean,” she said.
Cde Mnangagwa said she convened the meeting after realising that the country’s environmental challenges had been escalating due to little attention being paid to them.
“The reluctance has forced our nation to face several environmental challenges, which include land degradation, deforestation, desertification, poor waste management, declining biodiversity, scarcity of water and air, as well as water and land pollution,” said Cde Mnangagwa.
She urged individuals, industrialists, companies and developers to reduce emission of substances that caused substantial pollution in excess of standards established under the EMA Act.
“One of the medium to long term strategies worth considering is how to convert the vast amounts of heat generated in dump sites into electricity that can be used for cooking and lighting among other uses,” she said.
Cde Mnangagwa called upon manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers to make follow ups on how their customers disposed waste like those in the food and beverage industries and mobile telecommunication service providers on the recharge cards.
“In the same breathe, let me also take this opportunity to warn all shop owners that any litter found in the surrounding area of their shops and business activities will attract a spot fine or penalty,” she said.
EMA spokesperson, Mr Steady Kangate, said his organisation was seriously considering banning the use of plastic polystyrene popularly known as kaylite that is used by most restaurants and food shops.
“We are discouraging the use of kaylites. They fuel littering and we urge restaurants to use plates,” said Mr Kangate.
Online Reporter