EMA, partners join hands in drive to restore Harare’s cleanliness

Maintenance of cleanliness in the CBD by street cleaners.

The appalling situation requires citizens to take responsibility for their actions and, therefore, we call on every resident, corporate, communities and business entities to embrace best practices in waste management to avoid littering and emergence of dump sites. Geo Pomona Waste Management Pvt [Ltd] is collecting waste from households and business entities timeously according to schedule, but citizens continue to litter and illegally dump waste.

In light of the foregoing, the Environmental Management Agency, Geo Pomona Waste Management Pvt Ltd and City of Harare came up with a roadmap which started on the 6^th of February 2026 to address littering and illegal dumping of waste in Harare. The operation is taking a collaborative approach with all the stakeholders involved. To date, more than 205 tickets have been issued for littering in the Central Business District of Harare. Law Enforcement Agencies in plain clothes are patrolling arresting anyone caught littering. Litter should be placed in a bin always.

In terms of Environmental Management Act (Chapter 20:27) section 83 and Statutory Instrument 6 of 2007(Effluent and Solid Waste Disposal).

• No person shall discard, dump or leave any litter on any land or water surface, street, road except in a container provided for that purpose.
• An owner of a transport conveyance shall ensure that no litter is thrown from his transport conveyance.
• Any person or authority in control of or responsible for the maintenance of any place shall at all times ensure containers for placing litter are in place.

The operation’s immediate goal is to make Harare City clean.  Institutions, shop owners, companies, vendors, public transporters, passengers and the general citizenry who violate the statutory requirements on waste management will be fined heavily.

• The Environmental Management Agency in partnership with other law enforcement agencies in Harare will up-scale awareness, law enforcement and patrols on waste management. The main targets being those individuals who litter, illegal dumping of waste, public conveyance transport operators without bins, individuals caught throwing litter through the window of vehicles and shop owners without adequate bins in front of their shops.
• Residents of Harare should desist from dumping waste at undesignated sites.

It is our endeavour to bring sanity within the province, no place and no one is going to be left behind. Let’s embrace the notion that, a clean environment is everyone’s right and it calls for responsibility and an active role to achieve it.

Mobile awareness on littering in the CBD

I thank you

Leon Mutungamiri –EMA Harare Provincial Environmental Manager