Source: Police, EMA raise alarm over tall grass in urban areas – herald
Fungai Lupande
Mashonaland Central Bureau
POLICE in Mashonaland Central Province, working with the Ministry of Health and Child Care and the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), have launched an awareness campaign against the proliferation of tall grass in residential and open spaces, citing growing security, road safety and public health concerns.
The campaign follows the recent discovery of firearms and machetes hidden in tall grass along the Mazowe highway, heightening fears over criminal activities linked to poorly maintained urban spaces.
Speaking at the campaign, Mashonaland Central provincial police spokesperson Inspector Milton Mundembe said overgrown grass provided cover for criminal activities such as smash-and-grab incidents, theft and drug abuse, particularly along highways, road verges and neglected open spaces.
“Tall grass creates hiding places for criminals and increases insecurity in urban areas. Recently, we recovered firearms hidden in tall grass along the Mazowe highway,” said Inspector Mundembe.
He added that overgrown vegetation is also affecting road safety, as it obstructs the visibility of road signage at intersections, contributing to traffic accidents.
“We are encouraging local authorities to regularly cut grass at intersections to improve visibility for motorists and reduce road crashes,” he said.
Inspector Mundembe further noted that criminals are taking advantage of tall grass to engage in drug and substance abuse.
At the same time, semi-finished and unoccupied houses with overgrown yards have become hotspots for criminal activities.
He also raised concerns over child safety during the rainy season, warning that water harvesting practices, blocked drains and swollen streams pose a risk of drowning for toddlers.
“Guardians must be vigilant and ensure children are accompanied to school, especially in areas with tall grass and waterlogged surroundings. Robberies are on the rise, and police have intensified patrols,” he said.
Mashonaland Central Provincial Environmental Education and Publicity Officer, Mr Maxwell Mupotsa, said neglected open spaces encourage open defecation, indiscriminate littering and illegal dumping of waste, resulting in unsanitary conditions that threaten a clean, safe and healthy environment.
He warned that tall grass combined with accumulated litter creates a conducive environment for nuisance vectors such as mosquitoes, flies and rodents, increasing the risk of vector-borne and water-borne diseases during the rainy season.
“Many residents are now using overgrown areas as dumping sites for refuse such as pampers and other household waste, particularly when waste collection services are delayed,” said Mr Mupotsa.
“The combination of tall grass and illegal dumping poses an environmental eyesore, serious public health threat and can lead to outbreaks of diseases such as typhoid and cholera.”
EMA has urged all local authorities to urgently cut grass and maintain urban open spaces.
Mr Mupotsa stressed that clean, safe and orderly environments are central to the achievement of the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) objectives on public health, safety and sustainable human settlements.
The agency emphasised that routine maintenance of urban environments is not only a statutory obligation but also a critical component of improving the quality of life for residents.
EMA and the police have appealed to residents to take collective responsibility for maintaining clean surroundings by cutting grass and avoiding littering, saying environmental cleanliness remains key to crime prevention and disease control.
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