Pollution’s detrimental effects in Harare
Residents living in the high-density suburb of Mabvuku, in Harare, which is heavily polluted with cement dust from a nearby cement-producing company
“The cement dust is affecting us and the vegetation in the suburb. Our children often suffer from chest problems but sometimes we dismiss that as winter coughs because we have never been taught anything about pollution, dust and the effects,” said a resident.
Although a lot of Zimbabweans have been exposed to air and water pollution by companies operating near the areas of their residence, an environmental lawyer with the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association, Shamiso Mtisi, said the legal framework in Zimbabwe should task these companies producing effluent to at least help the affected communities through corporate social responsibility programmes.
He said corporate social responsibility programmes should be made a legally binding component.
“We recommend that companies need to upgrade their technology so that they produce less cement dust. Nowadays there is new technology that reduces pollution in the air and in the water,” said Mtisi.
Published under Cement News
