EMA clears over 5k tickets

THE Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has cleared over 5 000 environmental tickets issued since 2019 and commended its internal National Environmental Law Prosecution Unit established through a partnership with the police.

The environmental watchdog is conducting nationwide training for media practitioners to capacitate them with knowledge of environmental laws and other key issues.

The training is informed by EMA’s understanding of the role played by the media in information dissemination to apprise journalists of the strategies being undertaken to achieve “a clean, safe and healthy environment for an empowered society and a sustainable economy by 2030”.

Yesterday EMA held the Matabeleland North Environmental Reporting Workshop in Hwange in partnership with the Forestry Commission, Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, various Government departments and local authorities.

The major objective was to highlight the major environmental issues of interest and create a good rapport between EMA and the media.

Journalists from the print and broadcasting sectors, as well as civic activists, attended the workshop. EMA principal officer for environment education and publicity, Mr Liberty Mugadza, said the agency was working hard to address climate change issues, including pollution and environmental degradation.

“In 2019 the ZRP seconded a unit to EMA to ensure all tickets are followed up to completion. From 2019 to date over 5 000 tickets were completed either through follow-ups or being taken to court,” he said.

“This has reduced the backlog and we are seeing a lot of improvement in environmental compliance and follow-up to tickets issued,” said Mr Mugadza.

There have been calls for decentralisation of the NELPU to districts, especially in Hwange where there is rampant pollution from the mines.

Mr Mugadza said a lot of engagements are taking place with different entities and each year reports are compiled and sent to policymakers.

With regards to the media training, Mr Mugadza said EMA was guided by the principle of multi-sectoral integration to ensure that every sector has a role to play.

“We value the role of the media in terms of information dissemination. We want to make sure all journalists are reached through this training to improve relations and attend to some other issues that are coming out. We want to interact and improve service delivery.”

Mr Mugadza said they had conducted training in Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West, Bulawayo and Manicaland.

EMA Matabeleland North provincial manager, Mrs Chipo Mpofu-Zuze, implored media personnel to write more environmental awareness stories.

“Let’s talk about environmental issues to protect people and the environment. This pledge here gives us hope. Environmental issues are topical and we should do more stories guided by legislation and conventions at our disposal,” she said.-chronicle