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Fungai Lupande Herald Reporter
Environmental Management Agency last year sued 563 litterbugs and gave City of Harare 11 orders for flouting waste management laws. EMA spokesperson Ms Batsirai Gayner Sibanda yesterday said 27 people were also taken to court for illegal burning of waste, causing air pollution.

“Of interest was that most of the illegal burning occurs in low density suburbs,” she said. “Last year, we also served 17 orders to environmental offenders regarding waste management issues and of these, 64 percent were served to City of Harare. We have identified and mapped 220 illegal dumps in Harare and of these 90 percent were cleared.”

Ms Sibanda said EMA had embarked on a massive crackdown on litter bugs in an effort to restore environmental sanity in the city of Harare.

“From November 17 last year to date, the agency has been carrying out waste management awareness campaigns to the public on upholding laws that prohibit littering on undesignated places,” she said.

“On the other hand, environmental enforcement is being carried out on those who commit the offence. The aim of this two pronged approach is to remind citizens of their responsibility to take care of the environment and not discard litter on undesignated places, causing a nuisance to the environment.”

Ms Sibanda said EMA was carrying out an anti-littering blitz operation in Harare that was targeting litterbugs and the operation was in partnership with the police.