Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. ZANU PF Mutasa Central legislator Innocent Benza has called for deterrent penalties on polluters.
He made the remarks while presenting a paper during the Parliamentary Environment Water Policy Dialogue Forum organised by the Combined Harare Residents Association yesterday.
Benza, who is also a member of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Environment and Wildlife, said pollution threatened public health, undermined economic development and compromised our environmental heritage.
“We have been reminded that Zimbabwe’s water resources are under intense pressure from untreated sewage, industrial effluent and agricultural runoff,” he said.
“Strengthening our water pollution laws and the systems that enforce them is, therefore, urgent and essential. From where I stand, I believe we should emphasise updating and tightening the Environmental Management Act. More importantly, the whole of government approach must be enhanced and strengthened to reap the much-needed results.”
Benza said local authorities and their relevant ministries needed clearer mandates, better coordination and improved capacity to enforce compliance.
“Stronger oversight mechanisms are also pertinent in restoring accountability and these can include introducing mandatory annual water pollution reports, improved audits and more transparent sharing of data.
“I still believe in imposing more deterrent action, with stiffer penalties for polluters, with full polluter pays requirements, including clean up and rehabilitation costs.
“I further think, even the individuals presiding over this unprecedented pollution must also be punished. It must, therefore, be made mandatory that industries and high-risk facilities adopt real-time monitoring systems and local authorities upgrade outdated sewage infrastructure, ring fence revenue, and comply fully with national effluent standards.”
He said the committee visited potential health time bombs in Harare and Chitungwiza, which Parliament was now debating to find solutions.
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