The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has warned land developers operating without valid Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certificates and building on wetlands that they will be prosecuted.
In a statement ahead of World Wetlands Day on February 2, which will be observed under the theme “Wetlands Action for People and Planet,” EMA spokesperson Amkela Sidange emphasized the critical role wetlands play in supporting human life.
Wetlands help prevent floods, droughts, and other disasters, provide food and livelihoods to millions, support biodiversity, and store more carbon than any other ecosystem.
Sidange also said that Section 113 of the Environmental Management Act (Cap 20:27), in conjunction with Section 20 of Statutory Instrument (SI) 7 of 2007, mandates the conservation of wetlands. She said:
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No person shall, except with the express written authorisation from EMA, reclaim or drain any wetland, or disturb any wetland by drilling or tunnelling in a manner that harms or is likely to harm any wetland or adversely affect any animal or plant life therein…
We do not want a scenario like Lake Chivero, where pollution primarily from raw sewage poses significant health risks to humans and animals alike.
If we work together to keep our wetlands reserved and clean, we can avoid such situations. It is not only EMA’s duty but everyone’s responsibility. Together, we can restore and protect Harare’s wetlands.
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Wetlands in Harare are under threat from human activities such as farming, construction, and inadequate waste management.
The Monavale Vlei, one of Harare’s largest and most important wetlands, is particularly at risk.

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The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) is warning land developers to stop building on wetlands without permission. Wetlands are important for preventing floods, droughts, and disasters, and they provide food and homes for many animals. It is illegal to disturb wetlands without permission. EMA wants to protect wetlands in Harare from activities like farming and construction. They say everyone needs to work together to keep wetlands clean and safe. One important wetland in Harare, Monavale Vlei, is especially at risk. People need to follow the rules to protect wetlands and the environment.

EMA Warns Land Developers Against Encroaching On Wetlands

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has rejected a proposed housing project in Greystone Park, Harare because it is a wetland.
EMA spokesperson Amkela Sidange said the necessary environmental licences were not obtained.
Notices have been served to the occupants, and an Environmental Protection Order (EPO) has been issued to stop all activities. Said Sidange:
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The Environmental Management Agency has rejected the implementation of a housing development project in Greystone Park, Harare because the project is being implemented in a wetland area.
The project is likely to result in irreversible ecological impacts, with a high likelihood of significant socio-economic consequences.
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EMA urged local authorities and developers to be careful when allocating land and to follow the National Wetlands Masterplan (2021) guidelines, which identify and map wetlands across Zimbabwe.
Sidange said that by the end of 2024, about 258,780 hectares of wetlands had been mapped and protected.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Daniel Garwe, said the Ministry is aware of the concerns raised by citizens about the development in Greystone Park.
Garwe said the Ministry is working on the issue and will update concerned citizens and stakeholders soon

The EMA rejected a plan to build houses in a wetland area in Greystone Park, Harare. They said the project did not have the right environmental licenses. EMA wants developers to follow guidelines for wetlands to protect the environment. The Minister of Local Government is aware of people's concerns and is working on the issue. Developers and authorities need to be careful when building on land to avoid damaging the environment. By 2024, 258,780 hectares of wetlands in Zimbabwe have been identified and protected.

EMA Rejects Housing Plan For Wetland Area In Greystone Park

Almost 400 mega litres of raw and partially treated sewerage are flowing back to Lake Chivero daily, the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) has revealed.
The discharge of untreated sewage into Lake Chivero exposes Harare’s estimated 3.5 million consumers to serious health risks.
As a result, some Harare residents have abandoned drinking or cooking with Lake Chivero’s water, preferring to buy bottled water from shops.
In an interview with the <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/theindependent/local-news/article/200016684/146-000-megalitres-of-raw-sewage-gush-into-chivero">Zimbabwe Independent</a>, Amkela Sidange, environmental education and publicity manager at EMA, said flowing raw sewage has polluted both terrestrial ecosystems and water bodies. She said:
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Surveys by EMA indicate that an estimated 399 mega litres of raw and partially treated sewer are discharged into Lake Chivero (daily), which is one of the most pronounced drivers in pollution of the lake thus contaminating and polluting both terrestrial ecosystems and water bodies.
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The destruction of wetlands across the country due to urban sprawl and the unchecked parcelling out of State land by politically-connected land barons has worsened the situation.
Sidange said there was hope that under the National Wetland Masterplan, the ecologically fragile ecosystems can be preserved. She said:
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Wetland utilisation should only be done under a licence from EMA, failure of which can result in prosecution.
Commendable government efforts have been recorded recently, including the gazetting of the National Wetland Master Plan.
Increasing wetland area under sustainable management is one of the key objectives of the National Development Strategy.
To date, an estimated 252 000 hectares against a target of 500 000 hectares have been put under sustainable management
</blockquote>
Early this week, the City of Harare temporarily closed its water treatment plant due to a phenomenon called “lake turn” at Lake Chivero.
The local government authority explained that the “lake turn” occurred as a result of a sudden weather change on the night of 12 September.
It said the warm and dirty water at the bottom of the lake rose to the abstraction point (the level where water is drawn from the lake to the treatment works for treatment).
As a result, the City shut down “the plant to allow for adjustment of abstraction levels to draw better quality raw water for treatment.”
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

399 Megalitres Of Raw Sewage Flow Into Lake Chivero Daily - EMA

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has said households do not require a licence to use generators.
This comes after EMA <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/zimbabweans-must-apply-for-a-licence-to-operate-generators-above-100kw/">ordered a Harare resident to pay a fine</a> of ZWL$100 000 for illegally operating “an air polluting appliance (generator) without a licence”.
The development caused panic among members of the public as many are now using generators to light their homes due to recurrent load shedding.
EMA Environmental Education and Publicity Manager Amkela Sidange told <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/ema-dismisses-reports-on-licensing-household-generator-use/">The Herald</a> that only industrial and commercial generators attract a levy. She said:
<blockquote>
As a matter of fact, Section 64 of the Environmental Management Act (Cap 20:27) clearly stipulates that, “no owner or operator of a trade or any establishment shall emit a substance or energy which causes or is likely to cause air pollution without an emission licence”, thus clearly indicating that this is an operation at commercial level or for industrial use.
… a generator becomes the appliance and if it is consuming more than 5kg per hour of fuel, and being used for commercial purposes or industrial use, then it must be licenced by the Agency.
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According to a notice issued by EMA, owners of generators with an installed capacity of 100kW and above should be licenced. It reads in part:
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… it is necessary that all standby generators in Zimbabwe be registered with the Authority and all operators of generators with an installed capacity of 100kW and above be licensed, so that safety compliance can be monitored.
This is therefore to notify and advice the public that in terms of the law under the said Act:
<blockquote>
a) All owners of electricity generators equipment are required to register their generators with the Authority.
b) All operators of generating equipment of installed capacity of 100 kW and above are required in terms of Section 40 of the Act, to apply to the Authority for a licence.
c) Companies operating private distribution networks should, in terms of Section 40 of the Act, apply to the Authority for a licence to operate such networks
</blockquote>
To download the EMA standby generator registration and licencing form, <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/zerapp.pdf">click here</a>.
</blockquote>

Households Do Not Require Licences To Use Generators - EMA

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) says more than one million hectares of forests and farmland have been destroyed by veld fires over a three-month period. The fires have killed 16 people during the same period.
EMA environment education and publicity manager Amkela Sidange said that overall, 6 042 incidences of veld fires have so far been recorded, compared to 3 673 in 2021. This represents a 64.5% increase.
Sidange revealed that the average burnt area per incident has risen to the current 253.5 hectares from 234 hectares in 2021. <a href="https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/new-one-million-hectares-destroyed-by-fire">She was quoted as saying:</a>
<blockquote>
Week-on-week, burnt area trends indicate that the 2022 fire restriction has kept a constant upward trend compared to the 2021 fire season.
This is attributed to the dry and windy conditions that are prevailing in the country, and this has persisted for longer than usual, a possible indication of shifts in seasons due to climatic change.
</blockquote>
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa recently told the Senate that the government is considering amending the Environmental Management Act so that people who carelessly start veld fires are punished severely.
This follows the death of ten people on Monday who died while trying to put out a veld fire at Rodrose Farm in Esigodini, Matabeleland South Province.
In August this year, an 80-year-old security guard from Plumstead Farm, Banket, was killed by a runaway veld fire and his corpse charred beyond recognition.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) said the now-deceased, Sakatiza Mariza, was on his way home from his workplace when he was burnt.
In 2019, a Bindura farmer was sentenced to 18 months in prison by Magistrate Moreblessing Makati for starting a veld fire that burnt another farmer’s inputs and properties worth around ZWL$16 000.
Wicklow Handiroya (67) of Ledbury Farm in Bindura started the fire on his property to clear land for the upcoming summer cropping season.

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