Step into the streets of Mabvuku and you’ll immediately see the danger posed to the health of its residents. Fine dust particles from the two chimneys of a nearby cement manufacturing company, Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe, are traumatising residents as they create a white cloud on roof-tops, prompting residents to seek refuge indoors, a safer haven for their health.
According to residents, a number of people in the area have been admitted to hospital, suffering from circulatory and respiratory illnesses. Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe is currently producing an average of 1,200 tonnes of cement per day.
Air pollution is the presence of impurities in the atmosphere in quantities and duration that are harmful to the health of humans. Though scientists say that pollution is not quite a top-ten killer, Mabvuku residents have different thoughts.
A tour of Mabvuku with the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) drew residents to call on the cement company to “put people before profits.”
“People may not fall over and die in the street from air pollution, but it can be the last link in the chain. We are living dangerously here because there is nothing the company [Lafarge] is doing to protect us,” said one resident Francis Muchatibaya.
Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe, formerly Circle Cement, is a subsidiary of the Lafarge Group. Before it merged in 2001, residents used to get pints of milk to help neutralize inhaled dust from the chimneys.
Environmental Management Agency (EMA) Publicity and Education Manager Steady Kangata acknowledged that there are regulations that companies should abide by regarding polluting the air.
“Companies should abide by the Statutory Instruments (SI) that we put in place. SI 72 of 2009 gives emission standards. All emission points must be licensed,” Kangata said. He said that Lafarge has licensed their two chimneys.
A recent study by a group of scientists at the Carlos III Health Institute in the USA found that people living within five kilometers of highly polluted industries which emit fine dust and other arsenic pollutants, have around six percent higher chance of dying due to certain cancers than people who live further away.
Harare News was unable to get comment from Lafarge Cement’s Corporate Affairs Executive Washington Mutasa, as his phone was unreachable. However, a source in the company’s administration, who requested anonymity, cast some light on the company’s position on the plight of nearby residents.
“The company has made it clear that people who are developing their stands in the vicinity of its operations should stop because the stands are encroaching into an industrial site. People are failing to make a positive contribution to their safety by putting stands before their safety,” she said.
Chamunorwa Kawondera, an employee at Lafarge, disagrees. He says that people got the stands in 1995 but they did not develop them until “around 2006”.
“Only one housing cooperative Kugarika Kushinga managed to get stands for the people and it is still doing so. People are also developing the stands,” said Kawondera.
Faith Madzore, a nurse from Mabvuku, said that because of the fugitive dust the principal at-risk groups are people with respiratory ailments, such as asthma. Fugitive dust is particles that become airborne.
“Now we’re seeing other types of effects – for example in the case of larger particles, there are pollutants that are carcinogenic. There are pollutants which cause lower birth weights in babies,” she said.
Madzore added, “Government should institute different anti-pollution policies – such as low-emission zones or penalties for companies that pollute the most.”
In May this year, Lafarge Zimbabwe pledged $10,000 to City of Harare towards repairing ambulances as part of its corporate social responsibility scheme. The company said the ambulances should prioritise the Mabvuku, Tafara and Greendale communities.
Are residents who move into polluted areas asking for trouble, or should the existing manufacturers such as Lafarge bear the cost of cleaning the air? Let us know your thoughts via [email protected] or in the comments section below.
My pride my home mabvuku. for how long shall we keep on watching, for how long shall we keep our mouth closed when we see our home town people living this life before their time only because of some selfish intrests of other people who are making money and not evin bothered by the disaster they are causing everyday. our people are running out of petionce if Lafarge does not do anything to minimise the polution they are causing every day.
i think Lafarge should prioritise our mabvuku people on issues to do with jobs, development, promotion of environmental challengs.
I am sure this post has touched all the internet viewers, its really really fastidious piece of writing on building up new website.
After research a number of of the blog posts in your web site now, and I really like your way of blogging. I bookmarked it to my bookmark web site record and might be checking again soon. Pls take a look at my web site as properly and let me know what you think.
I’ve learn several just right stuff here. Definitely value bookmarking for revisiting. I surprise how a lot effort you place to create such a fantastic informative site.
naturally like your web-site but you need to check the spelling on quite a few of your posts. Several of them are rife with spelling problems and I find it very bothersome to tell the truth nevertheless I’ll definitely come back again.
fantastic post.Ne’er knew this, thanks for letting me know.
Very nice style and superb articles, nothing at all else we require : D.
Would love to constantly get updated outstanding weblog! .
Whats Taking place i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I have discovered It positively helpful and it has helped me out loads. I hope to contribute & aid different customers like its aided me. Good job.
Hey! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any trouble with hackers? My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing a few months of hard work due to no backup. Do you have any methods to protect against hackers?
Do you mind if I quote a few of your articles as long as I provide credit and sources back to your website? My blog is in the exact same area of interest as yours and my visitors would certainly benefit from some of the information you present here. Please let me know if this okay with you. Appreciate it!
Xcunou – best ed pill Ubhwzq
priligy 30mg – site american online pharmacy
ed pills don t work – erectile dysfunction symptoms cheap erectile dysfunction pills
What i do not understood is in fact how you are not actually a lot more well-favored than you might be right now. You are very intelligent. You realize therefore significantly in the case of this subject, made me individually imagine it from numerous various angles. Its like men and women aren’t interested except it?¦s something to accomplish with Woman gaga! Your individual stuffs outstanding. At all times handle it up!
buy prednisone cheap – prednisone brand name uk prednisone 5 mg brand name
buy modafinil online – provigil for sale provigil for adhd
Pingback: hydroxychloroquine drug
satellite can hydroxychloroquine prevent coronavirus association [url=https://hydroxychloroquined.online/ ]hydroxychloroquine 200[/url] liothyronine sodium hydroxychloroquine use in canada
buy vardenafil online india – vardenafil drug buy vardenafil new zealand
stromectol generico – ivermectin 0.5% brand name topical ivermectin cost
I like this post, enjoyed this one regards for putting up.
cialis in canada – cialis daily cost cialis cheapest online prices
stromectol tablets for humans for sale – stromectol generico ivermectin 0.5 lotion
hi hydroxychloroquine price cvs baby [url=https://hydroxychloroquined.online/ ]hydroxychloroquine tablets[/url] dietary fiber spain hydroxychloroquine study
price of accutane – order accutane online buy accutane online nz
generic lyrica medication – lyrica 150 mg buy online vyvanse canadian pharmacy
clomid dosing – clomid pills clomiphene online
sildenafil 130mg otc – purchase viagra online cheap sildenafil 100 mg tablet usa
order cialis online canada – tadalafil 20 mg paypal cialis 20 mg in india
stromectol prices – buy ivermectin 6mg stromectol pharmacy
free viagra canada viagra canada paypal – slang for viagra
wind creek casino online games – online casinos real money real online casino
buying ed pills online – over the counter ed pills that work buying ed pills online
viagra online united states – best canadian online pharmacy viagra buy viagra sale
online pharmacy prescription – Cialis health store online cialis coupon
Incredible points. Sound arguments. Keep up the great work. https://hhydroxychloroquine.com/
koszt piguЕ‚ki iwermektyny Lafarge Cement urged to ‘put people before profits’ « Harare News http://ivermectin1.com/ ivermectin tablets amazon
Very interesting information!Perfect just what I was searching for! “Neurotics build castles in the air, psychotics live in them. My mother cleans them.” by Rita Rudner.
Pingback: ivermectin 12 mg capsule
Global Dope Here this outcome
https://canadianexpresspharm.com online pharmacies
iwermektyna 1 krem ​​generyczny http://stromectolforte.com/# ivermectin tablets order stromectol tab price
zirtec – http://allergyd.com
Pingback: prescription for stromectol 6mg
Hey very nice blog! http://harmonyhomesltd.com/Ivermectinum-pharmacology.html
stromectol for humans http://stromectolforte.com/ ivermectin til mennesker ivermectin
cost of ivermectin pill http://ivermecton.com/ ivermectin for sale
levitra at boots https://levitraoff.com levitra eyes
Pingback: cialis brand no prescription needed