The residents said the abuse of wetlands was partly responsible for the city’s water shortages.
Chombo allegedly approved the building of a shopping mall on a wetland near Borrowdale racecourse. At a recent meeting, Borrowdale residents quizzed a developer over the project.
“Any threat to wetlands would affect the eco-system. Natural existence of birds, fish and frogs, among others, would be endangered,” said Councillor Stewart Mutizwa.
His view was supported by Professor Christopher Magadza, who warned Zimbabwe against tampering with wetlands which he said “were essential for both human and animal lives”.
Magadza said: “Wetlands play a number of roles in the environment, such as water purification, flood control and trapping waste headed to rivers and dams.” He said wetlands were disappearing at a fast rate because of illegal settlements and lack of law enforcement.
The chairperson for Harare Environmental Management Committee, Councillor Chris Mbanga, said the council would eventually win the battle over the wetlands as they were being invaded out of ignorance.
“My committee and council have also embarked on education campaigns at ward level to make residents aware of the importance of wetlands to society,” Mbanga told The Zimbabwean.
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And why are you not equally concerned with the wetlands on which the MDC-Tsvangirai urban councils corruptly parceled out to desperate home seekers while pocketing the money,enriching the likes of Omega Mugumbate,and her friends including the shamed former chitungwiza town clerk?The wtlands between Units D and unit A has since disaapeared into residential area without the wetlands having been drained.Is that not disaster waiting to be the rsponsible of a town council that did not receive any cent from the sale of such residential stands??