Online Reporter
Debra Matabvu
Senior Reporter
CABINET has approved the Environmental Management Bill of 2026, which seeks to introduce “stiffer” penalties for perpetrators of land degradation and provide for laws governing the polluter-pays principle.
The Bill will also impose penalties on individuals and firms that construct buildings on wetlands.
Under the proposed law, an inter-ministerial committee comprising the Ministries of Environment, Climate and Wildlife; Mines and Mining Development; and Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development will monitor environmental compliance and identify offenders.
In recent months, the Government has introduced a raft of policies, including a ban on alluvial mining operations, citing environmental concerns and health risks.
Despite these efforts, environmental experts have criticised the existing legal framework as non-deterrent, with fines considered too low to effectively curb violations.
Speaking at a post-cabinet briefing in Harare yesterday, Acting Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Mangaliso Ndlovu, said the bill will also “empower and strengthen” the Environmental Management Agency (EMA).
“Cabinet noted and approved the Environmental Management Amendment Bill, 2026, which was presented by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Honourable Ziyambi Ziyambi as Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Legislation,” Dr Ndlovu said.
“The Bill seeks to amend the Environmental Management Act [Chapter 20: 27] by incorporating emerging environmental principles and giving effect to environmental rights that are enshrined in the Constitution.
“The Bill also seeks to empower and strengthen the Environmental Management Agency in order to protect and preserve the environment for the present and future generations.”
On her part, Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Dr Evelyn Ndlovu said the bill introduces penalties that deter land degradation, especially in the mining and construction sectors.
“We are currently faced with challenges in the mining industry, including river mining,” she said.
“So this Bill is bringing in new penalties, meaningful penalties that will be charged to the offenders, perpetrators of this land degradation in various parts of the country.
“We are really concerned about that and that’s why we have to amend this bill, because the penalties that existed were very minimal.
“Individuals were not feeling the pinch in terms of the penalties that were charged by the courts and hence the continuation of this land degradation in our various parts of the country.”
She added that the bill will also ensure a Statutory Instrument is put in place for the polluter-pays principle.
“It will also assist us to implement, to come up with a statutory instrument to implement the polluter-pays principle, which has been there, but it has not been used at least in terms of legal issues.
“So the polluter-pays principle will be put in place to make sure that whoever does land degradation in any form will pay, as long as we manage to monitor them, together with the Minister of Mines.
“So the Minister of Agriculture, the Minister of Mines and ourselves will have to monitor the perpetrators.”
In addition, cabinet has also approved the Research Amendment Bill, which seeks to establish a Research Authority of Zimbabwe and a Research Fund.
Dr Ndlovu said the Bill will promote innovation and technological adoption in the country.
“Cabinet noted and approved the Research Amendment Bill, which was presented by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Honourable Ziyambi Ziyambi, as Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Legislation,” Dr Ndlovu added.
“The Bill seeks to amend the Research Act [Chapter 10:22] by establishing, inter-alia, a Research Authority of Zimbabwe, a Research Fund and the institutionalisation of a National Research and Development Funding Target of not less than 1 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
“The Research Fund will be utilised to promote innovation, technological adaptation and adoption as well as the development of appropriate human resources to enhance research capabilities.”
