By Jussa Kudherezera & Samantha Zengeni
A serious Environment threat has taken toll in Dangamvura Gimboki, Lack of employment opportunities for young and middle aged people are a driving force behind illegal brick making which is destroying the environment. There is a resulting loss of animal and insect habitat. The brick moulders use wood-fired kilns, and coal is a non-renewable energy source. Deforestation and carbon dioxide emissions have further indirect effects on the ecosystem and climate.
Environmental Justice is one of the pillars that Manica Youth Assembly (MAYA) focuses on and we recently saw unauthorized brick makers destroying kilns and brick stacks in Dangamvura Gimboki area. Brick moulding is causing serious environmental damage and affecting the water bodies which has a major impact on sustainability and water supply. Huge gullies have been formed and left unattended posing dangers not only to human beings but also to domestic animals. With no land reclamation exercise in place the huge gullies are now fast expanding
MAYA noted with concern land degradation that is taking in Mutare, and this reveals that brick kilns have a negative impact on the environment, including soil damage, and cause health problems for kiln workers. Farm brick production is now one of the many other major drivers of deforestation in Zimbabwe as huge pits are excavated for clay soil required to mould bricks and large amounts of trees are cut down for firewood needed in the drying process.
In line with the city master plan which aims to build a smart city as well protecting the environment, City of Mutare in 2019 took a position to comply with the Environmental Management Agency’s order which prohibits the use of farm bricks for both commercial and residential construction. Council made this decision because the use of farm bricks promotes destructive practices to the environment particularly rampant deforestation as large quantities of firewood are used in the manufacturing of farm bricks.
Although brick laying has induced economic development, however it has caused environmental deterioration, damage to human health, creation of basins that act as breeding ground for mosquitoes, smidge of raw materials, destruction of vegetation, impact on drainage, loss of biodiversity, loss of nutrients, pollution and scenery alteration.
The practice has been ongoing for years and now threatens some residential stands and commercial properties in the growing town, enabling the illegal industry. The land that has been damaged by the illegal brick moulders stretches for kilometres into the newly built Gimboki Primary School. However, corruption amongst local municipality police (Rangers) has seen them passing farm brick activity areas without any charge because brick moulders can always bribe them.
We urge Mutare City Council and Environmental Management Agency (EMA) to conduct an operation to bring order to this illegal activity ,they have to prosecute all people who are illegally doing brick moulding and destroy their bricks and kilns. In addition to contaminating air, the kilns degrade soil around them as workers dig it up to be made into the clay that will be moulded, heated and dried into bricks.
City Council should, monitor the situation and bring order to how the environment is going to be managed. It is not only in Gimboki but around Mutare Urban and Mutare rural. They should also urge people who want to engage in brick moulding to come and register with City Council to operate from a plot set aside for brick moulding and is currently lying idle and taking this as an opportunity to attract investment into the city.
Generally brick making has caused greater impact on the environment such as alteration of drainage systems, swamp destruction and deforestation. Therefore this calls for government agencies ( Local officials), NGOs and relevant stakeholders to ensure mitigation measures such as research , massive sensitization to reduce the impact for sustainable development.