The Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) has jointly charged Lusaka City Council (LCC) Town Clerk and LCC Director of Public Health Edgar Mulwanda with two counts of failure to manage waste in Misisi and Kanyama.

The other two counts are for failure to comply with site restoration orders.

Pursuant to Section 60 of the Environmental Management Act No. 12 of 2011 (“EMA”), LCC was ordered to remove waste in parts of Garden, Kanyama and Misisi townships and the Town Centre and restore the sites to a condition satisfactory to ZEMA.

ZEMA Corporate Affairs Manager Irene Chipili tells Money FM News that the Council was also ordered to take action that would prevent the continuation of disposal of waste at the stated sites.

Ms Chipili says the Agency carried out compliance inspections of the stated sites and found that LCC did not fully comply with the Orders and that in view of the above, LCC will be prosecuted on four counts for.

She explains that the two counts for the offence of Managing waste in a manner that results in an adverse effect or creates a significant risk of an adverse effect occurring in respect of the two sites in Misisi and Kanyama respectively contrary to Section 54 of the EMA.

She adds that the other two counts are for the offence of failure to comply with Site Restoration Orders issued in respect of Misisi and Kanyama sites respectively contrary to Section 60 subsections (3) and (4) of the EMA.

The ZEMA Corporate Affairs Manager says the offences were committed on dates unknown but between 1st day of January, 2018 and 11th August, 2018 in Lusaka District.

She has disclosed that the matter will come up for allocation and possible plea before the Lusaka Magistrate court on 30th August, 2018.

Ms Chipili says ZEMA is committed to ensuring that Local Authorities play their role in managing waste in their jurisdictions and subsequently, protecting our environment.