The Sunday Mail
Panashe Mabeza and Lea Mutanda
Parliament has raised the “red flag” over the wanton destruction of wetlands in Harare through prohibited land development and property construction.
Presenting a report in the National Assembly last week, chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Environment, Ms Concilia Chinanzvavana, said authorities such as Government and Harare City Council, which are responsible for land allocations, were to blame for the destruction of wetlands.
“Wetlands such as Monavale Vlei and University of Zimbabwe wetlands were both earmarked for construction projects, with the former Vice Chancellor Levi Nyagura once intending to construct a service station on the university’s wetland.
“The Monavale Vlei, along Fenella Drive, is an important wetland area within the city. It is managed by the Conservation Society of Monavale (COSMO.) The committee was informed by COSMO that the Government had plans to build 1 200 cluster houses in the Monavale wetland area,” said Mrs Chinanzvavana.
The committee also says it witnessed a church — New Life Covenant — being built in a wetland in Eastlea.
The church had reportedly bought the land from an unnamed individual who had bought the land as a residential stand.
There could be a conflict of interest in the issuance of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports to developers, the committee added, as there were prepared by consultants who are licensed by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA).
However, the fee for the consultants is paid by the project developer, leading to a conflict of interest for the consultants.
“Consultants who gain a reputation for issuing negative reports are unlikely to receive further engagements by developers.
“Accordingly, consultants lean towards producing reports which allow development on wetlands and often fail to consult adequately with stakeholders, even though the Environmental Management Act requires the director-general to ensure that the consultations have taken place,” read the report.
