Sunny Yi Feng Tiles Zimbabwe On Spotlight Over "Violation" Of Environmental Laws
Sunny Yi Feng Tiles Zimbabwe, a Chinese-owned billion-dollar ceramics venture, has once again come to the spotlight for alleged violations of environmental laws, yet no attempts have been made to rein it in.
The Standard reports that the company’s alleged violations have on several occasions been discussed by a committee which comprises of the Chegutu Rural District Council, District Development Fund (DDF), President’s Office, Health and Child Care ministry, National Social Security Authority, Environmental Management Authority (EMA), Zimbabwe National Water Authority, Norton Town Council, the department of roads and the Norton member of parliament, Temba Mliswa.
Chegutu district coordinator, Tariro Tomu, indicates that a September 2019 visit to the company showed that Sunny Yi Feng was discharging sewage from ablution facilities through holes that were drilled into toilets at the site.
This created fear among committee members that the effluent would find its way into the tail end of the nearby Darwendale Dam, which supplies Norton and is a major source of fish for consumers as far as Harare.
The Standard further reports that while the complaints of pollution have been running for years, Sunny Yi Feng had not adopted measures to redress the situation.
Norton legislator, Mliswa, who has been vocal about the company’s alleged misbehaviour, claimed Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi and ZANU PF spokesperson, Chris Mutsvangwa, were among the political elites protecting the Chinese company.
More: The Standard (This investigation was supported by the US Public Diplomacy Section in Zimbabwe)
