Zimbabwe Govt Commended for Gazetting Environmental Management Bill

By Wallace Mawire The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) has applauded the Parliament of Zimbabwe for gazetting the Environmental Management Amendment Bill on September 9, 2026. According to CHRA the Bill seeks to introduce harsher and deterrent penalties for corporate polluters and wetland developers, which is in tandem with the position and legislative concerns of residents over water pollution and wetland destruction in Harare. The association said to ensure wider coverage and inclusivity in the parliamentary public consultation processes on the Bill, they call upon the Parliament of Zimbabwe to deploy an array of platforms (physically and virtually) to solicit residents' input on the Bill. "We reiterate that the current environmental-water legislative and regulatory framework lacks provisions that deter water pollution and wetland destruction, and the polluter pays principle has not been fully enforced due to legislative and policy gaps," CHRA said.