By Revesai Mavetera
A group of ten environmental activists has submitted a petition to Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume, urging the Harare City Council to take immediate action in protecting the important wetlands in the Upper Manyame Catchment Basin.
The petition highlights the crucial role these wetlands play in providing essential services like clean water, flood control, and carbon storage. The activists are concerned about the ongoing construction of buildings on wetlands by both unauthorized individuals and those officially allocated by the council. They also raise issues about urban agriculture and illegal sand mining damaging the wetlands. Surprisingly, over 10,000 residential houses and planned settlements are located in ecologically sensitive areas in Harare.
To address these problems, the petitioners propose several recommendations. They urge the Harare City Council to update the city’s master plan and local area plans in line with the regulations set by the Minister of Environment. They also suggest involving Community-Based Organizations in taking care of the wetlands near their communities and developing by-laws for climate change mitigation and wetland protection. The activists also emphasize the need for a clear process for issuing development permits and the establishment of a land bank to prevent unauthorized activities in ecologically sensitive areas.
The activists stress the importance of implementing the recommendations from the Auditor General’s report on wetlands and the suggestions made by the City of Harare Environment Management Committee
