Harare fined for failure to collect refuse

Source: Harare fined for failure to collect refuse | The Herald

Uncollected garbage is piling up at various areas in Harare

Blessings Chidakwa Municipal Reporter

The Environmental Management Agency has slapped the Harare City Council with a $800 000 fine for failing to collect refuse regularly on designated points dotted in and around the Central Business District.

 

EMA’s Provincial Education and Publicity Officer for Harare Metropolitan Ms Batsirai Sibanda said this year alone, council had been slapped with three fines for non-collection of refuse.

“EMA has fined City of Harare $800 000 for failing to maintain a waste collection frequency that minimizes accumulation and avoids decomposition of waste on designated sites in Harare CBD, which is in contravention of section 14(1) of Statutory Instrument 6 of 2007 that is responsible for Solid Waste Management issues,” she said.

“This year alone, the Agency has served City of Harare three Environmental Protection Orders for non-refuse collection and failure to remove illegal dumps in areas which include Mbare, Budiriro and in the CBD.”

Ms Sibanda said despite the three orders, it seemed that there was continuous recurrence of uncollected waste, especially at skip points in the city’s CBD and in Mbare, which resulted in the issuance of the fine to the local authority.

“The Agency will continue to monitor the waste situation and if there is no sustainable waste management plan in place the Agency will take further prosecution,” she said.