Abel Ndooka
Talent Gore
THE ban on fishing activities at Lake Chivero will remain in force until conclusive investigations by the Health and Child Care Ministry, Government has said.
The development comes after the water and environmental poisoning incident that claimed wildlife and aqua life around the lake last month.
Apart from the ban on fishing and fish sales at Lake Chivero, there is ongoing research on biological remediation techniques, including the use of effective microorganisms, to rehabilitate contaminated areas within Lake Chivero.
Environment, Climate and Wildlife Minister Sithembiso Nyoni described the situation at Lake Chivero as dire and called for a holistic approach to deal with pollution and ecological disturbances in the water body.
“Going forward, we will rope in the Ministry of Health to do the finding because we want to save lives,” she said.
“The ban cannot be lifted now and a whole of government and stakeholders’ approach is required to reverse the situation at Chivero.”
This is not the first time Lake Chivero has faced pollution challenges. Studies have shown that the lake has been experiencing eutrophication since the 1960s, with high levels of nutrient pollution leading to toxic algae blooms.
The situation has been exacerbated by the growth of Harare’s population and a corresponding increase in sewage effluent.
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