‘There is no point in having a law if it’s not enforced’

Ngoni Dapira
IN the early 1990s cleanliness and order prevailed in Zimbabwe with most cities especially the eastern border city of Mutare highly ranked among the cleanest, litter free environs in Southern Africa. 18-years now into the new millennium the contrast is true and one cannot help to wonder where the scheme went wrong.

According to environmental experts the cleanest countries in the world also rank among the most beautiful countries in the world. For some countries, like Singapore, this means enforcing strict laws to keep the streets clean. Others have a national culture that inclines towards orderliness and cleanliness which is in turn enforced through societal pressure and beliefs.

Every country has a different way of dealing with urban cleanliness among them spot fines, public humiliation and citizen action, but the million dollar question is on whether it’s community clean-ups or its strict municipal laws that have the most success in making a city spotless? Eastern TimesZim decided to interrogate this in view of the ongoing national clean-up campaign initiative launched by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in December last year.

In Canada anyone convicted of dropping litter can be fined up to US$1,000 for the first conviction. Repeat convictions cost up to US$5,000, and may lead to a community service order or anti-littering lectures to curb repeat offenders. In the case of a third offence, law-breakers may be also made to wear a sign reading “I am a litter lout” during the community service tenure. Singapore also fines US$100 for putting used chewing gum anywhere other than a bin, US$500 for urinating in elevators and US$100 for failing to flush a public lavatory ($100).

In Africa, in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, trash is now hard to find, even on the dirt roads outside the main arteries. Vendors have also been successfully banished from the sidewalks. This is because the country, which is now ranked among the fastest growing economies on the continent enforced a total ban on non-biodegradable polythene (plastic) bags among a litany of other stiff punitive measures which pursued to rein in order and cleanliness to build modern smart cities. Walking down the street with a plastic bag could cost you more than a US$150 fine, while store owners found stocking them can face six to 12 months in prison.

President Mnangagwa during the launch of the national clean-up campaign, noted that the challenges facing Zimbabwe on environmental pollution were mostly from plastic bags and broken glass which were not being recycled. During the launch of the national clean-up campaign President Mnangagwa said it was mandatory in terms of the Environmental Management Act that every local authority develops a Local Environmental Action Plan (LEAP) which is expected to ensure every urban dwelling constructs properly lined and well-engineered land fill sites among many other waste management measures, but this is yet to be seen on the ground.

According to environmental watchdogs plastic materials remain the biggest pollutants. Worldwide, recycling is being encouraged as a measure to reduce unnecessary disposal of waste as a waste management strategy. Zimbabwe has however been lagging especially on recycling of plastic waste. A few companies mostly in Harare and Bulawayo are now into plastic waste recycling, but according to environmental experts this should be encouraged in every city through government incentives to attract willing investors.

According to the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), waste management is one of the most pressing environmental challenges in Zimbabwe and 18 percent of all waste generated is plastic. According to a 2010 assessment made, Zimbabwe produces an average of 2.5 million tons of solid waste every year but this is said to have nearly doubled over the years.

EMA Manicaland environmental manager Kingstone Chitotombe applauded the initiative of the national clean-up campaign by the President as a step in the right direction, but was however quick to highlight that Government needs to invest much more money both on public education and on the clean-up campaign to achieve the desired outcome of clean and orderly cities in Zimbabwe.

In the world’s cleanest countries credit has often been given to spot checks that are regularly made by police officers, of which environmental experts mention this as the critical factor saying there is no point in having a law if it’s not enforced. Chitotombe said worldwide effective environmental management was anchored on effective enforcement and stiff penalties. He said the argument of unavailability of adequate bins in most urban centres was reasonable but was not the crux the litter problem in the country.

“Although the law exists, there is a need for a change of mindset among the people to tackle the litter and all our pollution problems. People must not expect government to address this problem alone. There is this dependency syndrome where people expect government to even buy them litter bins for residence. Our environment is finite hence the need for us to look after it. Few bins are not the issue. It’s to do with attitude. Even our policing is weak. People need to see the actuality of spot fines in order to fear littering so law enforcement is key in this battle,” said Chitotombe.

He said in Zimbabwe littering attracts a level three spot fine of $30 mostly for first convictions but it goes upto level 14 of $5000 for extreme dumping especially by corporates. “The spot fines for disposal of waste at undesignated places are there but what we need to improve on is effective enforcement strategies. This also needs active citizen participation and compulsory education on littering from kindergarten right up to university level. We need to reach a point where the public unconsciously become the anti-litter police, like in Botswana. In Botswana you feel ashamed to litter the streets in and the public will reprimand action if you do so. This is what we should work towards in Zimbabwe and the national clean-up campaign is a good starting point,” said the EMA Manicaland environmental manager.

Chitotombe observed that, the private sector was also part of the problem. He cited the resistance of the 100 percent kaylites ban. “The view of having a 100 percent ban on kaylites was raised by EMA in 2012, but only got enforced in 2017, of which sadly it was resisted by industry and we still have challenges with this ban. Zimbabwe has a partial ban on plastics less than 30 micrometres, but I also believe the Rwanda route of a total ban on plastics is the way forward.” Adding, “We also need as a country to improve our disposal system. There is very little that is happening in the way of recycling in Zimbabwe. We need to move away from plastic bags. We should avoid using them in the first place. In Africa, they have done away with them in countries such as Uganda and Rwanda and the cities there are cleaner. Filthy countries do not attract investment,” said Chitotombe.

Edson Dube from United Mutare Residents and Rate Payers Trust (UMRRT), a civic society non-profit making organisation, said the dumping of solid waste and widespread littering is becoming a serious problem in the country citing that what is compounding the problem was lack of enforcement on proper waste management systems despite the existence of waste management policies.

Dube said in the 21st Century waste should not be collectively dumped in landfills without any recycling, adding that mixture of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste should discontinue.  “Infrequent collection of waste, improper waste management plans without recycling stations, the absence of public-private partnerships between government and the private sector on waste management, all contribute to the failure to defeat the hazard of littering in our cities. We did a public survey in Mutare in 2017 and the outcome was that on waste management, citizens want to move with the times and separate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste at household level for refuse collection. Local authorities should however instigate this drive which is what we are pushing for as a residents association,” said Dube.

He concurred with EMA on lack of public awareness being a major cause for unwarranted littering. “Littering is not only unsightly, but it also has economic implications. Littering chases away investors and tourists who often want to visit countries that are clean and healthy to do business in. If people are imaginatively educated about the economic and health consequences of littering this could help. With HIV national campaigns and mainstreaming of HIV and AIDS issues created awareness and the same should be done with littering,” added Dube.

In Zimbabwe there are few companies mostly in Harare that recycle bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate or PET. Muruwe Private Ltd in Harare is one of the unique companies that turns plastic bottles made from PET into plastic strapping, commonly used in for packaging for beverages or any form of bulky goods. The company uses brown plastic bottles of the Chibuku opaque beer which are often thrown on the streets especially in high density suburbs near beer halls. Collection of the plastic bottles is now creating employment for people who move around and collect the bottles which are paid for by recycling companies such as Muruwe.

While the country is struggling with unemployment and waste management solutions, local initiatives to recycle plastic bottles which in turn creates jobs and remove the plastic bottle waste on the streets, are a plausible move. Government should actually incentivise investors that want to invest in waste recycling in every city, but this has been lagging again.

Most local recycling initiatives focus on clear plastic waste, but Muruwe Pvt Ltd is among the few that is recycling coloured plastic. Last year before the current sharp price increments triggered by the fuel price increase, the company was paying individuals 15 cents per kilogram for the brown plastic bottles of which the company processes about two tons of plastic every day. The cost of importing a roll of plastic strapping is $72 but the locally made plastic straps costs $48 for a roll.

Government recently said it would be intensifying its multi-sectoral approach to ensure a litter free environment. The Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba in a speech read on her behalf by the director in her Office, Kennedy Mugarisanwa during the fourth national clean-up campaign early this month noted that there was still reluctance by some citizens and stakeholders to repent, given that most cities and rural service centres were still faced with serious challenges of littering and solid waste management. The national clean up campaigns are being conducted on every first Friday of the month between 8am and 10am.

Dr Gwaradzimba said the primary source of litter, among others, has been pedestrians throwing unwanted materials on the streets, dumping of waste at undesignated points by shop owners and residents, and the discarding of waste by motorists and passengers in public transport through the windows. Over the blame game on the country’s litter problems has been pointing towards local authorities that were cited as inefficient on refuse collection services which led to unwarranted dumping of waste. The concern over inadequate bins at strategic points in urban centres and public places has also been raised. People have often complained that they are forced to opt to throw trash on the streets after walking 30 to 50 metres in urban centres with no bins in sight, whilst in public transport there are no bins so they throw outside to avoid clashing with conductors.

As part of the concerted efforts that will be pressed on by Government to deal with littering, the resident Minister said, “Motorists and public conveyances should ensure no litter is thrown out of the moving vehicles. This has become the major source of litter in our highways. Local authorities should provide adequate waste bins at strategic and convenient sites for pedestrians. They should timeously collect the waste and tie their licencing to waste management issues. Rural District Councils should put in place waste management systems in all rural service centres,” are among some of the measures which she said would be toughened and mainstreamed countrywide by Government in the ongoing anti-litter campaigns.