Staff Writer
HARARE -The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) has welcomed the gazetting of the Environmental Management Amendment Bill, saying the proposed legislation could strengthen efforts to curb water pollution and wetland destruction.
The Bill, gazetted by the Parliament of Zimbabwe on September 9, seeks to introduce tougher and more deterrent penalties for corporate polluters and developers operating on wetlands.
CHRA said the proposed amendments were consistent with concerns raised by residents over the deteriorating state of the environment, particularly water pollution and the destruction of wetlands in Harare.
The residents’ body, however, urged Parliament to ensure that communities are adequately involved in the public consultation process.
“To ensure wider coverage and inclusivity in the parliamentary public consultation processes on the Bill, we call upon the Parliament of Zimbabwe to deploy an array of platforms, physically and virtually, to solicit residents’ input on the Bill,” CHRA said.
The organisation argued that Zimbabwe’s current environmental and water legislative and regulatory framework had failed to provide sufficiently strong deterrents against pollution and wetland destruction.
It said the polluter-pays principle had also not been fully enforced because of gaps in legislation and policy.
“Current polluter permit fees and fines are often not commensurate with the environmental damage caused and are not effectively used for pollution remediation, restoration or prevention,” CHRA said.
“As a result, it has become cheaper for corporates to pollute rather than comply with environmental water laws.”
CHRA said the consequences of water pollution were ultimately being borne by residents through higher water tariffs, declining water quality and availability, loss of biodiversity and disruption of livelihoods.
The association cited the high cost of treating polluted water, saying the City of Harare was using 10 water-treatment chemicals at a monthly cost of about US$3 million, which it attributed to heavily polluted water in Lake Chivero.
CHRA also raised concerns over industrial effluent, alleging that some industries were failing to install pre-treatment facilities before discharging waste into municipal sewer systems as required under Section 59 of the Environmental Management Act [Chapter 20:27].
The association said the problem was being compounded by malfunctioning sewer systems at treatment facilities including Crowborough, Firle and Chitungwiza.
It called for stronger enforcement of environmental regulations and greater accountability among companies whose activities contribute to pollution.
CHRA said amendments to the law that take into account residents’ submissions could contribute significantly to strengthening water security and advancing constitutional rights.
The organisation linked the proposed reforms to Section 73, which provides for the right to an environment that is not harmful to health or well-being, and Section 77, which provides for the right to safe, clean and potable water.
CHRA recommendations
Going forward, CHRA called for the strengthening of the Polluter Pays Principle to improve environmental governance and accountability while ensuring that polluters meet the costs of remediation and restoration.
The association also urged authorities to ensure that fines and permit fees reflect the actual costs of environmental damage.
It further called for companies to be compelled to install pre-treatment facilities before discharging industrial effluent into municipal sewer systems, as required by law.
CHRA said fragmented legislation, weak regulatory oversight, overlapping institutional mandates, limited coordination among stakeholders and weak enforcement mechanisms must also be addressed to improve environmental governance.
The association identified the rehabilitation of sewer infrastructure at Crowborough, Firle and Chitungwiza as a priority.
CHRA said stronger environmental legislation, effective enforcement and meaningful community participation were essential to protecting Zimbabwe’s water resources and ensuring a cleaner and more sustainable environment for future generations.