Speaking
at
a
multi-stakeholder
engagement
meeting
organised
by
the
Environmental
Management
Agency
(EMA),
Hwange-based
public
prosecutor
Pride
Mharadza
said
fewer
than
15
EMA-related
cases
were
recorded
in
the
province
in
2025,
describing
the
situation
as
“deeply
disappointing.”
“In
Hwange,
we
only
received
one
case
last
year
involving
the
transport
of
hazardous
substances
without
a
permit,”
Mharadza
said.
The
accused,
who
had
transported
mercury,
was
convicted
and
fined
US$500,
with
four
months’
imprisonment
suspended
for
five
years.
Mharadza
said
Victoria
Falls
recorded
no
EMA
cases
in
2025,
calling
it
“worrying
that
a
whole
station
did
not
receive
a
single
case.”
Binga
recorded
two
cases
involving
cyanide,
one
resulting
in
six
months’
imprisonment
and
forfeiture
of
the
chemical,
while
the
other
could
not
proceed
to
court
due
to
the
absence
of
a
forensic
report.
In
Inyathi,
a
single
case
involved
implementing
a
project
without
an
Environmental
Impact
Assessment
(EIA)
certificate,
resulting
in
a
US$200
fine.
Nkayi
recorded
one
case
of
prohibited
alluvial
mining,
leading
to
suspended
sentences
for
19
accused
persons.
Meanwhile,
Tsholotsho
and
Lupane
reported
no
EMA
cases
during
the
year.
Mharadza
said
delays
in
forensic
reports,
limited
EMA
representation,
and
weak
collaboration
between
police
and
prosecutors
were
major
obstacles
to
successful
prosecution.
“The
overall
picture
points
to
weak
environmental
law
enforcement
rather
than
an
absence
of
environmental
crimes,”
she
said.
“Half
the
stations
did
not
receive
any
EMA
cases.
Some
prosecutors
even
said
they
do
not
know
how
to
handle
EMA
cases
because
they
are
not
receiving
them.”
Mharadza
urged
law
enforcement
and
prosecutors
to
take
action,
saying
that
successful
prosecutions
would
“send
a
message
to
society”
and
strengthen
environmental
protection
across
the
province.