Pollution headache for Harare(01-02-07)

efforts by the city commission to enforce strict anti-litter laws by imposing hefty fines on anyone throwing rubbish in undesignated places. The Harare commission believes this will restore the capital’s “sunshine city” status.
In a report seen by The Zimbabwean, council is also worried that it has not been able to stop pollution over the years because of the small fines imposed on the offenders by the courts.
The council has agreed that polluters should be liable to a Z$5 million fine plus Z$500,000 for every day the pollution continued.
It has also agreed that all factories, old and new, should have pre-treatment facilities to bring their effluent to standards laid down under the Urban Councils Act. Currently polluters are paying a maximum fine of Z$5,000, a figure most are comfortable with, and they would rather continue polluting and paying fines than putting in place abatement plants which cost much more.
Recently raw sewerage was flowing into Lake Chivero, Harare’s main source of drinking water. And at Porta Farm this week, television footage showed raw sewerage flowing into people’s homes.
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