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Walter Nyamukondiwa Chinhoyi Bureau
The Environmental Management Agency has taken Chinhoyi Municipality to court for polluting Manyame River through discharging raw sewage. The matter was supposed to be heard before a Chinhoyi magistrate yesterday, but was postponed to September 7 after the municipality’s representative Mr Mungororo Mazai, excused himself on health grounds. This will be the first of two dockets of environmental violations, which the municipality has failed to rectify.

According to statements in the docket, Chinhoyi is discharging at least 18 Mega-litres of raw effluent into Hunyani River everyday.

The waste includes raw sewage and chemical waste from Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital.

All the sewer treatment plants and pump stations are not working, prompting the municipality to channel all 18 Mega-litres of waste generated in the town everyday into Hunyani River.

Sewage treatment plants and pump stations at Hunyani, Mpata and Fernlea are dysfunctional.

Chinhoyi is home to nearly 70 000 people, while thousands live downstream of Manyame River and use the water directly to drink and carrying out household chores. Animals also drink from the river.

Environmental Management Agency provincial manager Mrs Eunice Mutepfa, confirmed the court case adding that punitive measures such as fines and summons to appear before the EMA board have not yielded positive results.

“We are aware that Chinhoyi Municipality is discharging raw sewage into Manyame River and we fear that if left unchecked this could have serious implications to the environment,” said Mrs Mutepfa.

Two dockets are pending at the courts where EMA has dragged the Municipality because of multiple infringements of the environment without taking remedial action.

Chinhoyi is being charged with contravening Section 57 (1) of the EMA Act 20:27 which prohibits discharge or application of pollutants into an aquatic environment.

The matter was initially scheduled to take off at the Chinhoyi Magistrates Court on August 19 before it was postponed to yesterday.