MUTARE - As the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Francis NhemaIrate shoppers who spoke to The Zimbabwean about the statute, Nhemas brainchild meant to reduce litter, described the move as a clear indicator of his failure to curb core issues affecting the countrys degrading environment.
Bothwell Mafa, an irate resident said, Nhema is busy wasting time causing unnecessary confusion, he should rather keep himself occupied by formulating useful policies to put an end to the on-going environmental degradation. He should put all his time and resources towards fighting veld fires and deforestation.
Another disgruntled shopper, Tendai Muvirimi said, The statute defies logic. If there is a lot of litter in the streets as Nhema claims, it shows that the City Fathers are not doing their job.
There has been a lot of confusion since the government banner plastic carrier bags. Shoppers and retailers have been constantly clashing after the latter started charging for the government-recommended plastic carrier bags.
The plastic bag ban has strained the trust and mutual respect that used to exist between us (wholesale/retail shops) and our clients. Ever since the statute was enforced, there have been endless clashes between our till operators and consumers. The government should reconsider the policy because it is affecting our business big time, said a branch manager at one of the countrys leading retail shops. He added: We were forced to put a small charge on the government recommended plastic bags to avoid running at a loss. But customers do not budget for that.
The Plastic Packaging and Plastic Regulations Statutory Instrument 98 gazetted in May last year, recommends the use of the 30 micro metre plastic bags, which easily decompose.
According to the statute, the use of the banned cheap plastic carrier bags attracts a hefty US$5 000 fine or a one year jail sentence.
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