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Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
ENVIRONMENT, Water and Climate Minister Saviour Kasukuwere said he was happy with Bulawayo City Council (BCC) and companies efforts to reduce effluent being discharged into Umguza River.

Following threats to close all Bulawayo companies discharging raw sewage into the Umguza River, Cde Kasukuwere said tremendous efforts had been made in reducing the levels of pollution.

He however said more needed to be done especially by BCC which is still to totally rehabilitate broken sewer pipes that spill raw sewage in streams leading to Umguza River.

“We’ve seen a reduction in pollution levels over the past months and it’s very commendable,” he said.

He said the government had given council the green light to borrow funds for the process, a confirmation that it was committed to seeing pollution levels reduced.

The Minister said there was generally commitment from all involved in the fight against pollution.

Speaking at World Environment Day commemorations held in Umguza district last year, Cde Kasukuwere said Bulawayo should be environmentally conscious.

He said council should adopt effective waste management practices and ensure that it treats all effluent before discharging it into the environment to prevent the pollution of water bodies.

“Bulawayo is making money at the expense of our people. How can you say you’re a city father yet you discharge 40 megalitres of raw sewer into our rivers?

“It’s a murder and I’ll make sure that all local authorities and companies fingered in polluting the environment are brought to book. If it means closing them we will do that.”

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) responded to the pollution by banning use of water for irrigation from Umguza River. It said de-polluting the river could take a number of years.

The contamination of the river was exposed in the media, amid warnings that crops that were being watered using water from the river could expose people to various diseases.