Mutare Council in Court Over River Pollution

Date: September 26, 2004

Source: Zimbabwe Standard (Harare)

Author: Anon

Mutare--The city council last Tuesday appeared before the courts for allegedly polluting Sakubva River.

The council, which was represented by its legal counsel, Issue Matting, appeared before Mutare magistrate Billiard Musakwa. It was not asked to plead and the case was remanded to September 28, 2004.

The Zimbabwe National Water Authority, ZINWA, is the complainant.

Abiot Kachirika, appearing for the State, said council employees at Gimboki Sewerage Works unlawfully discharged raw effluent into Sakubva River without a permit on 26 May this year .

Kachirika said the raw effluent from the sewage works polluted water downstream.

He said investigations by a water quality scientist with ZINWA, Webster Munhundiripo, had shown the water was contaminated and the council was carrying out operations at the sewerage works without a permit from ZINWA.

The council requested that the matter be deferred to a later date to allow its legal counsel to go through the charge and prepare a defence.

Musakwa granted the request and the matter will be heard this week on Tuesday.