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Whinsley Masara Chronicle Reporter
TWENTY-ONE people from Bulawayo’s Entumbane suburb, which together with Makokoba were recently named the dirtiest in the city, have been arrested for littering.

Entumbane residents, stung by shame after the lowly ranking by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), have mobilised to effect citizens arrests on those they find illegally dumping garbage.

EMA fined the residents between $5 and $20.

The agency named Cowdray Park, Hyde Park, Pumula, Robert Sinyoka and Methodist Village as areas that are seriously affected with land degradation affecting infrastructure such as roads and electricity pylons.

Bulawayo Metropolitan Province EMA manager Decent Ndlovu said the city’s reputation of being among the cleanest in Southern Africa was being tarnished by litter bugs.

“Entumbane residents were touched by such bad publicity and have taken it upon themselves to monitor each other. So far 21 arrests have been made in Entumbane for illegal dumping. Some have already been ticketed. Residents have tasked themselves to monitor each other and surrender the culprits to the nearest police station who then engage EMA,” said Ndlovu.

He said the method of naming and shaming residents who illegally dispose of waste and fining them was “really doing the trick as culprits now feared being caught.”

“Environmental laws are that no-one should be found dumping, discarding or leaving litter on any land or water surface, street, road or site in or at any place except in a container provided or set aside for such purposes.

“The mushrooming of illegal dumps and rampant sand abstractions are some of the challenges affecting the local authority. To address these challenges the agency has continued to enforce the law through prosecution of offenders and issuing orders to clear illegal dumps,” said Ndlovu.

He said anyone guilty of committing these offences is liable to a fine or imprisonment.

Ndlovu said repeat offenders would be taken to court where they face fines of up to $5,000 and or imprisonment for up to one year.

EMA intends to tirelessly help Bulawayo City Council which is facing environmental problems related to solid and liquid waste management.

Meanwhile, Nketa residents in Ward 25 led by Councillor Mzamo Dube, spruced up the area around Musarurwa Shopping centre.

The area had become an environmental eyesore with overgrown grass and illegal dumps.