His Excellency President, Emmerson Mnangagwa this year proclaimed a State of Disaster on Emergency Solid Waste Management in the Harare Metropolitan Province via Statutory Instrument 140 of 2023. The President declared the state of disaster in response to “the deplorable state of solid waste management in the four (4) local authorities of Harare Metropolitan Province, namely, Epworth, Ruwa, Chitungwiza, and Harare.
For the purposes of this Declaration, the Minister of Local Government conferred his powers upon the Minister of Environment, Climate, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry for the implementation of emergency solid waste management in the Harare Metropolitan Province. It is against this background that Environmental Management Agency (EMA) assumed the role of coordinating the implementation of remedial works as enshrined in Statutory Instrument 140 of 2023.
Council is working together with EMA to map and clear dumps within the town. The team has cleared nineteen (19) dumps from the town since the declaration of the state of disaster. Public awareness programmes have also been carried out and continue to be done by EMA in conjunction with the Council’s Environmental and Health Section and Public Relations Section.
Council has urged residents to desist from littering and illegal dumping of waste. Ruwa Local Board Environment and Health Officer, Mr Benam Nyawo advised that incorrect dumping of solid waste is a violation of Council by-laws.
“We implore our residents to dispose of their solid waste correctly. Council has by-laws that prohibit littering and illegal dumping of waste, these offences attract heavy penalties,” Mr Nyawo said.
A call has also been made for residents to organize themselves into groups and clean their immediate surroundings, and to always notify Council and EMA of these clean-up activities so as to facilitate the collection of waste after cleaning.