Bulawayo Mayor, David Coltart Warns Against Illegal Burning of Brush and Garden Refuse.
Loraine Phiri
The City of Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart has urged residents to stop burning brush and garden refuse, warning that the practice is unlawful and dangerous.
The appeal follows a series of incidents that have strained the city’s emergency services and endangered lives and property.
In a statement on his official Twitter page today, Cllr Coltart recounted a Monday morning incident in his ward where he encountered two young men burning brush on a vacant plot despite high winds. He reported that sparks and smoke were drifting towards the Hillside Dams conservancy and nearby thatched homes posing a risk.
“I immediately told them that they were acting unlawfully and ordered them to stop,” the Mayor said. “At the same time, I called the City of Bulawayo fire department, which responded swiftly and put out the fire. The owner of the plot will be charged.”
The warning comes just a week after a brush fire destroyed a historic home built in the 1940s worth an estimated $500 000. “I appealed to the public then to comply with the law and not burn brush or start fire, particularly at this hot,windy time of the year when the bush is so inflammable,” he said. Expressing frustration, he added, “that appeal has been ignored by many and l am appalled.”
According to Cllr Coltart, repeated violations are placing intolerable pressure on the city’s already stretched fire department. ” The public needs to know that our fire department is stretched as it is, and this flagrant breach of the law is endangering lives and property,” he said.
Cllr Coltart said he would push for more stringent penalties.“I am going to push for far more stringent penalties, and we are encouraging law enforcement agencies to bring the full weight of the law against all who burn,”he said.
The mayor called on residents to help prevent such incidents by remaining vigilant and educating others. “I call on all members of the public to be vigilant and to assist us in preventing fires like this from being lit,” he urged. “Please also assist us in educating all that burning brush and garden refuse is an offense and dangerous.”
