Penalties light enough that polluters absorb them as routine operating costs are why a river may get labeled a national disaster. Aaron Chigona of EMA put that ask before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Environment, Climate and Wildlife over the Deka River and its surroundings in Hwange.
Residents petitioned first, which dragged the whole mess into hearings. Chigona wants the Environmental Management Amendment Bill wrapped quickly, arguing its text finally carries something capable of easing what those communities swallow daily.
Christopher Musvava, who heads environmental protection at the agency, was blunt about enforcement. Polluting firms are running businesses, and unless a fine genuinely bites into profit margins, nobody treats containment seriously.
Names surfaced during his testimony. Hwange Colliery Company, Zimbabwe Power Company, and Hwange Power Station all caught penalties tied to that river. Protection orders and tickets went out as well, with thin results to show.
Five years of monthly sampling sits in EMA's files, gathered at fixed points, mapping how the chemistry shifted over time. Musvava offered the raw data and a site walkthrough. Nobody has said when recommendations land in Parliament.
Residents petitioned first, which dragged the whole mess into hearings. Chigona wants the Environmental Management Amendment Bill wrapped quickly, arguing its text finally carries something capable of easing what those communities swallow daily.
Christopher Musvava, who heads environmental protection at the agency, was blunt about enforcement. Polluting firms are running businesses, and unless a fine genuinely bites into profit margins, nobody treats containment seriously.
Names surfaced during his testimony. Hwange Colliery Company, Zimbabwe Power Company, and Hwange Power Station all caught penalties tied to that river. Protection orders and tickets went out as well, with thin results to show.
Five years of monthly sampling sits in EMA's files, gathered at fixed points, mapping how the chemistry shifted over time. Musvava offered the raw data and a site walkthrough. Nobody has said when recommendations land in Parliament.
