Agency goes after Harare over garbage

Owen Kaura

Harare’s Central Business District has become an absolute eyesore. One would be forgiven for mistaking it for some disused mine shaft where all manner of filth and dirt are dumped.

In 2021 alone, the City Fathers have been served with three Environmental Protection Orders. This is a written statutory order which requires a person or company to undertake actions to remedy a risk or prevent further environmental harm.

Environmental Management Agency (Ema) Education and Publicity Officer for Harare Batsirai Sibanda said; “In Harare, there is a serious challenge of waste management. This year so far we have served the City of Harare with three Environmental Protection Orders.”

Council spokesperson Michael Chideme blamed the ever-growing piles of garbage on the shortage of refuse collection trucks.

“We are facing challenges in terms of transportation. Most of our garbage trucks are down,” he said.

Last week, ZTN News ran a story showing heaps of garbage in Harare’s Central Business District, including First Street Mall.

While council cleared the garbage on Tuesday, many other parts of the city are still riddled with uncollected garbage.