Zambia's government to enforce laws on garbage collection

Vice President Inonge Wina has implored the Local Authorities to ensure that environmental laws are observed when business houses are engaged in the collection of garbage.

She was responding to a question by Nakonde Member of Parliament Yizukanji Siwanzi, who wanted to find out if government has plans of regulating garbage collection following the bad practices among garbage collectors.

Agreeing to the status, Mrs. Wina said government will look into the issue to ensure that there is environmental protection wherever there are mounts of garbage.

The Vice President explained that the Ministry of Local Government has by-laws pertaining to the collection and disposing of waste.

She noted that the bad practices in garbage collection could be as a result of low compliance among garbage collectors because the Local Authorities are not enforcing the law.

“We are urging the ministry concerned to ensure that they observe the enforcement of these by-laws among garbage collectors,” Mrs. Wina directed.

Mr. Siwanzi commended some men and women who have ventured into the business of garbage collection but that the manner in which the service is being carried out was worrisome.

He noted that garbage collectors are not using the right vehicles among other equipment to collect and dispose of the garbage.

He cited some cases where garbage collectors carry waste unsecured and passing through food markets and eating places thereby causing a health hazard in terms of infection and pollution to the community.

He wondered if government had any plans of instituting any laws to regulate the sector

“Does government have any plans to regulate this particular sector as I have seen that even their workers are working without protective gear,” Mr. Siwanzi submitted.

In 2018, Parliament enacted the Solid Waste Regulation and Management Act, 2018, Act Number 20 of 2018.

An Act to provide for the sustainable regulation and management of solid waste; general and self-service solid waste services; the incorporation of solid waste management companies and define their statutory functions; the licensing and functions of solid waste service providers, operators and self-service solid waste providers and provide for their functions; the regulation, operation, maintenance and construction of landfills and other disposal facilities; the setting and approval of tariffs for management of solid waste and provision of solid waste services; and matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.