CommuTalk Reporter
GWERU – The Environmental Management Agency has refused to take the blame for the seemingly environmental chaos obtaining in the province as a result of alleged lack of enforcement.
The EMA Midlands spokesperson Oswell Ndlovu was taken to task by journalists during a belated World Press Freedom Day commemoration on massive land degradation around the Boterekwa Escarpment area and other parts of the province.
A member of the Portfolio Committee on Media, Information and Broadcasting Services Tendai Nyabani, who is also Rushinga Constituency House of Assembly also brought up the unfortunate classroom collapse at Globe and Phoenix Mine and riverbed cultivation in Mazowe River in his home province of Mashonaland Central.
Ndlovu said EMA was playing its part in enforcement of environmental laws and the public sometimes makes conclusions without all information.
“In terms of enforcement, we are really hard on the ground. If you look at the number of tickets we have issued out, you will see that we are doing our part.
“As an agency, we are always on the ground on a day to day basis monitoring land degradation issues, rehabilitation as well as the discharge of effluent,” said Ndlovu.
He added that EMA was following all procedures required before giving Environmental Impact Assessment certificates.
“As the regulator we have been enforcing and when see those who don’t have EIAs, we issue tickets and order them to stop operations until they regularise.
“During the process of submitting EIAs there are stakeholder consultations, to consult relevant stakeholders who have a stake in that project,” he added.
After the issuance of EIAs, Ndlovu said communities have a right to complain if they feel their rights are being infringed so that EMA can take appropriate action by stopping operations if need be.
On why there is continued destruction Ndlovu said mining is generally destructive in nature.
He said it was also important to realise that there is progressive rehabilitation of destructive land in mining and at times, people cannot rehabilitate an area that they are still working on.
“In some cases, there cannot be imminent rehabilitation when they have not exhausted a resource on a particular area.
“Rehabilitation on the gold side takes time, it is in cases when you know a miner has exhausted the resources and have left open pits, then that is a very serious issue we might need to follow up,” Ndlovu further said.
Midlands provincial police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko said police act when there are reports.
Nyabani further argued that it was disturbing to note that a lot of environmental violations were going on unchecked and at times exposing people to dangers when the law that deals with such aspects is there.
He also challenged the media to play its watchdog role by investigating and exposing environment malpractices.
