Harare (New Ziana)- The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) said on Friday it had fined nearly 2 000 people and companies for poor waste management, and littering since it launched an anti-polluting blitz last month.

The blitz is meant to complement the government’s clean-up campaign launched by President Emmerson Mnangagwa two years ago to promote environmental cleanliness.

Under the campaign, workers are compelled to clean-up environments around work places to promote general cleanliness, and combat diseases such as cholera caused by dirt.

EMA spokesperson Amkele Sidange said about 1 8000 people, companies and local authorities had so far been fined since the launch of the blitz for failure to dispose of waste in an environmentally approved manner, and littering.

“Up to Friday last week, we had about 1800 tickets issued for various offences linked to solid waste management. Mostly these were for litter bugs, people that were dumping and local authorities were also there,” she said.

“We also issued about 860 environmental protection orders commanding those who were found defaulting to rectify whatever issue was there to do with solid waste management. About 70 percent of these orders were issued to local authorities and bus operators.”

Sidange said EMA was in the process of taking the Harare City Council to court over illegal dumpsites and non-collection of waste.

Speaking after taking part in a clean-up exercise in Gweru last month, President Emmerson Mnangagwa expressed disappointment that some companies and local councils were resisting the initiative.

He said government could be forced to take harsher measures to compel them.
New Ziana